Damaged Doesn't Mean Broken
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: 3rd Year AU! Harry Potter has more to worry about than an escaped convict on the loose bent on giving him to Voldemort. He's got a mess of physical disabilities to deal with as well. Thankfully his friends, family, and godfather will always be there when he needs them. Deaf!Disabled!Harry Nice!Dursleys
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Believe it or not, this is the 100th story I've posted. Some have been big hits and some have been total and utter crap. I've wanted to write this one for a while and since the story is mostly fully formed-at least in my head-hopefully I'll actually finish this one.

STORY SUMMARY: This story actually uses an aspect of my story 'Changes and Ripples' where Harry had a disorder that prevents magical healing of injuries and illnesses. When Harry was a child, he and Dudley fall ill due to meningitis and have to live with disabilities resulting from it. The Dursleys, who are actually warm loving foster parents to Harry in this story, try to help as best they can along with Vernon's sister, Marge, and Sirius Black.

Also, since Harry is mostly deaf in this story, when words are in **bold** they are meant to signify something said in sign language.

* * *

 **HARRY POTTER: Damaged Doesn't Mean Broken**

The inhabitants of #4 Privet Drive were normal enough, thank you very much. Well, as normal as could be, given the circumstances.

12 years ago, Vernon and Petunia had become the adoptive parents of Petunia's nephew, Harry Potter, after the deaths of her sister and brother-in-law at the hands of an evil wizard known as Lord Voldemort.

When he was just over a year old, Harry had been delivered to his aunt and uncle's house by his godfather, Sirius Black, who had wasted no time in purchasing the house across the street so as to keep a close eye on Harry.

The Dursleys had welcomed Harry with open arms and in no time, he was formally adopted into the family, to the delight of the Dursley's own son, Dudley, who took only a short amount of time to warm up to his new 'brother'.

However, life at #4 was not without its complications. When Sirius had delivered Harry to his new home, he'd had to relay the news that the child had a disorder that limited any magical healing—something crucial to note since Harry was a wizard.

Because of the disorder, Vernon and Petunia were informed, most injuries or illnesses that befell their nephew could not be healed or cured by magical means. Minor cuts and scrapes or very minor injuries could be taken care of, but major illnesses and injuries such as severe lacerations or broken bones would have to be taken care of at a local muggle hospital.

For a while, this complication didn't seem to have much of an impact on the Dursleys or Harry. But when Harry and Dudley were 8 years old, both fell seriously ill when a meningitis outbreak struck the boys' primary school. Both boys recovered, but both were left scarred by their illnesses. Dudley lost his hearing completely but to the relief of his parents suffered no other long term complications.

Harry wasn't so lucky. While he, too, suffered hearing loss, it was only partially—Eighty percent loss in his right ear and seventy-five percent loss in his left ear. But that wasn't the worst of it. Harry also developed septicemia as a result of the meningitis and lost his lower right leg shortly thereafter, only to have more of the limb amputated due to osteomyelitus a mere two weeks later.

No, #4 Privet Drive was not your average home with a normal family.

But what counts for 'normal' anyway?

* * *

' _This isn't the way I wanted to start my summer holiday,"_ Harry thought, dejectedly as he lay on the sofa in the sitting room, frowning dismally at the cast on his left leg.

Harry hadn't even been home a week when he'd missed a step coming down the stairs that morning. He'd landed hard on his left leg, breaking his ankle and severely damaging the ligaments in his knee, necessitating surgery and a week's stay in the hospital.

Once home again, Petunia had set Harry up in the sitting room on the couch with his crutches nearby as well as the hospital-recommended wheelchair just in case.

The main problem, Harry decided as he let out a long sigh, was that being mostly immobile made wearing the prosthetic on his right leg an annoyance. But if he needed to use the bathroom or get something to drink, he couldn't go anywhere if the prosthetic wasn't on… not unless he wanted to use the wheelchair… which he didn't.

Yes, this definitely counted as one of the worst summer holidays ever, Harry thought, firmly, wincing as his leg jostled as he shifted position slightly.

Catching movement nearby, Harry turned to see Dudley getting his attention before signing, **'Where's Mum? Dad and I have to go get Aunt Marge at the train station.'**

"Aunt Petunia said she wanted to get something special for dessert," Harry replied, sighing as he spoke aloud. Dudley had always felt awkward speaking out loud after losing his hearing despite going to speech therapy with Harry. And while Harry didn't like talking out loud at school or in public, he didn't mind when he was at home. "Go on," Harry encouraged his cousin. "She'll be back soon. I think I can stay out of trouble for half an hour."

"Mum told me and Dad that someone should be here with you," Dudley insisted, speaking as he signed… a sure indicator that he was getting upset. "You know how she is about that. Especially with you being laid up right now."

"Sirius said he was coming over tonight for dinner," Harry replied, thinking quickly. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming over early."

' **Sure. I'll have Dad call him to come over,'** Dudley said, nodding. Sitting down at the other end of the sofa—being careful of Harry's leg—he asked, **'Are you okay? You've seemed really bummed out lately.'**

"'Bummed out'?" Harry said, a snap in his voice. "I get to spend the whole summer with a broken leg and messed up knee. I'll still be on crutches when I go back to Hogwarts. And I'm already a freak at school because of the prosthetic leg and the fact that I'm one of three deaf students in the whole bloody castle!" Slumping back against the armrest of the sofa, Harry let out an exasperated sigh. "It's not fair."

Dudley stood, waiting for Harry look at him before he spoke again. "Harry, you are _not_ a freak. And you think I like being one of a few deaf kids at my school? You're right—our situations suck. But at least you've got that whole magic thing. With your hearing aids you can hear as well as Mum or Dad. Me? I'll never have that." When Harry didn't respond, Dudley sighed and waited until he caught his father's attention before giving the sign for Harry's godfather. Turning back to his cousin, he said, "We'll be back in about an hour. Sirius should be here in a few minutes."

Sulking in silence, Harry couldn't deny that Dudley did have a point about one thing. Magic had been able to amplify the hearing aids Harry had worn since he first lost his hearing so that he could hear almost normally. Sirius and a healer from a local muggle/wizarding hospital—Waldenmyer Medical Center—had tried to do the same with Dudley's hearing aids but to no affect.

Harry remembered when he'd first started at Hogwarts, feeling everyone staring at him, either because of his limp because of his missing leg or the hearing aids he wore. Then there had been the fact that sometimes he started using sign language as he spoke, purely out of habit.

When he felt Sirius touch his shoulder to get his attention a short while later, Harry looked away, wanting to stay in his bubble of moping.

Sirius, however, knew Harry's habits and smirked as he sat on the arm rest at the opposite end of the sofa near Harry's foot. "So how long are you going to be ignoring everyone this time?" Sirius asked, signing as he spoke. Hiding a smile as Harry angrily removed his hearing aids and put them on the table behind him, Sirius was not so easily dissuaded. **'You don't want to talk? That's fine,'** he went on, letting out a bark-like laugh when Harry shut his eyes tight.

When Harry had come home from the hospital when he was 8 years old, Sirius had done everything in his power to help his godson and the Dursleys adapt to the new situation. They had all learned sign language and had tried to encourage both boys to talk aloud as much as possible.

But while all that was fine on the deaf side of things, it was harder dealing with Harry's other physical disabilities. The loss of his leg coupled with the magical immunity disorder had caused Harry to get increasingly frustrated with school and his life in general. Three times previously—once during his second year at Hogwarts and twice at his muggle primary school—Harry had ended up with broken bones and each time seemed to be worse than the last.

In truth, Sirius was starting to worry about Harry going back to Hogwarts this year, especially because of the new security precautions put into place.

After the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius had gone after their betrayer—another 'friend' by the name Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew. Pettigrew had been captured and locked up in Azkaban but had recently escaped and was now considered exceptionally dangerous. The wizarding world believed that the escaped convict would be after Harry to kill him and complete Lord Voldemort's work, but Sirius knew better. Pettigrew had no taste for blood but he wasn't above handing Harry over to others who would do the dirty work for him.

When Harry finally opened one eye to see if his godfather was still there, Sirius quickly said, "I need to talk to you about something. Okay?"

Harry begrudgingly opened his other eye, sighing in anticipation of another lecture. But he sat up when he noticed the fear and worry of Sirius's face. "What's wrong?"

And so Sirius explained everything. How he, Pettigrew, the Potters, and another student—Remus Lupin—had all once been friends at Hogwarts to how Wormtail went to Voldemort with the Potters' hiding place. When he was done, Sirius waited for Harry's response when he noticed Petunia standing in the foyer. Standing quickly, Sirius didn't know what to say or how to ask Harry's aunt how much she had heard.

Twisting around to see what had alerted his godfather, Harry ignored the pain in his leg as he grabbed his crutches and slowly stood up as well, turning to see his aunt standing there. "Aunt Petunia," Harry said in surprise. "W-We didn't know you were home yet."

Petunia's expression was unreadable as she set her bags of groceries down on the floor and spoke to Sirius, signing for Harry's benefit as she'd noticed he'd taken his hearing aids out. "Sirius, help Harry upstairs to his room and then come back down and help me with dinner."

Sirius nodded, silently, understanding that there was to be no argument on the subject. Turning to Harry, he looked apologetic as he grabbed Harry's hearing aids and helped the boy slowly climb the stairs and head down the hallway into his bedroom.

Once in his room, Harry carefully sat down on his bed, which was positioned against the left wall, before judging which way to position himself. If he chose to face the door, he'd have to get his prosthetic leg up first followed by his casted leg. It would be more painful to get his bad leg up and down that way, but on the plus side, he'd be able to see the door.

On the other hand, if Harry had his back to the door, he wouldn't be able to tell if someone was coming but it would be a little easier to get up when Petunia had dinner ready.

Looking at Harry, then at the bed, Sirius quickly grabbed one of Harry's pillows and put it behind his godson who caught on to the idea. Watching Harry slowly and painfully scoot backwards until his back was against the pillow, Sirius wished there was some way he could make things easier for the boy. As it was, there wasn't anything magic could do to help Harry heal faster.

Once his left leg was properly supported by the other pillows on the bed, Harry removed the main part of the prosthetic, setting it beside him. It felt more comfortable that way and as long as he didn't take off the sheath and sock, it would be easy to put the leg back on.

"Anything I can get you?" Sirius asked, looking at Harry.

Harry pointed to his homework on the desk and after Sirius helped him get set up, he said, "Thanks, Sirius. I'll be okay."

Sirius nodded once and after leaving the room, he headed downstairs for the berating he knew was coming.

x

Petunia Dursley had been jealous of her sister for years. Lily's magical abilities had seemed wondrous and Petunia wished that she could go to a castle to learn to cast spells and brew potions. That jealousy had slowly caused a rift between the two sisters—a rift that had only started to be mended when Lily had told Petunia that she was pregnant. The two expectant mothers began visiting frequently, already planning playdates between their children and Lily had even started talking James into looking into a house on Privet Drive so that Harry could grow up with his aunt, uncle, and cousin right down the street.

When Sirius Black had delivered a newly orphaned Harry Potter on a cold, dark Halloween night, Petunia felt her heart break as she heard how her sister and brother-in-law had misplaced their trust in a school friend who had sold them out to Voldemort. Petunia had promised Sirius to tell Harry the truth of his parents' deaths when he was older, but she swore to herself that she wouldn't tell him the darkest parts of the tale. There would be time when he was much older, she'd told herself.

Now Harry knew the whole story and Petunia was trying not to feel scared for her nephew, especially after hearing that Peter Pettigrew had escaped Azkaban Prison.

"Petunia, I thought you'd told Harry about—" Sirius had started when he entered the kitchen.

Petunia cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I'm not angry…not really," she admitted, starting to chop onions and garlic for her favorite pasta meat sauce. "I just didn't think it was necessary to tell Harry everything. Especially with Pettigrew locked up."

Sirius nodded understandingly as he began browning the ground beef and sausage for the meat sauce. It was Petunia's favorite recipe and he'd had in quite a few times before. "But we can't protect him forever, Petunia. I mean, last year with the basilisk and the Chamber of Secrets was—"

"Maybe we should pull Harry out of Hogwarts," Petunia blurted out, suddenly. When Sirius stopped what he was doing to turn and look at her, she let out every thought she'd been holding back for the past year. "Harry can't be healed by magic. He's already lost one leg and most of his hearing. And then the accident on the stairs? Sirius, it seems like each injury Harry gets is worst than the last. He needed extensive surgery on his leg this last time. Before that at Hogwarts he broke his arm playing that ridiculous game and needed surgery. He broke his collarbone two years before that and right after he recovered from the meningitis he broke his leg on the playground at school."

Sirius held back any comments about Harry's magical immunity disorder but he knew that it only seemed that Harry's injuries were escalating because he was getting older and becoming more active. But he couldn't deny that the same fears and worries were weighing on his own mind more and more. Maybe he should suggest to McGonagall that Harry be banned from Quidditch during his third year?

The more he pondered that idea, however, the more Sirius didn't like it. Quidditch was one of the few things in Harry's life that didn't count on being able to hear or walk. Going back to his cooking, he glumly realized that trying to keep Harry safe was the best he could do… whatever that meant nowadays.

x

It had started raining when Dudley and Vernon pulled into the driveway with Aunt Marge, a normally brusque woman who raised Australian Shepards for shows and to breed. She was very well known and very well respected in dog show circles and had the most champion dogs out of every other breeder and trainer in the region.

Today, Marge had brought along her favorite dog, a blue merle Aussie named Abby—a sweetheart if ever there was one. Once in Vernon's car, the dog had settled in the backseat with her head in Dudley's lap who petted her until she started to fall asleep.

"I feel absolutely terrible about this visit," Marge admitted as they got closer to her brother's house. "You shouldn't have to put me up when you and Petunia are already dealing with my poor nephew's injury. What have the doctor said? Will Harry's leg be okay?"

Grateful that Dudley couldn't hear the conversation, Vernon shrugged. "They fixed his ankle and knee but even once he heals he'll need physical therapy." Catching his sister's look, Vernon frowned slightly. "We don't know if he's going to be able to walk without the crutches… or at least without some sort of support."

Marge nodded thoughtfully as the rest of the car ride went by in silence. There was something about Harry she liked very much. When Vernon and Petunia had first told her that Harry would be a wizard and that a dark wizard had murdered his parents, she'd thought for sure that her brother and sister-in-law had gone mental. But Harry's godfather had come by and after much discussion and a few demonstrations from Sirius, Marge had been convinced.

She was, however, still baffled that Harry couldn't be healed by magic. That seemed highly unlikely especially since Harry's parents had both possessed magical abilities

The car pulled into the driveway just as the rain began to let up and once everyone and the luggage was inside, Abby shook the water off of her fur and began looking around curiously.

"I've been telling her she was going to get to see Harry as well," Marge explained to Vernon who looked puzzled.

"Harry is upstairs in his room," Petunia explained as she started to set the table. Turning to Dudley, she asked, "Do you mind getting him?"

' **Sure,'** Dudley replied, heading for the stairs after grabbing his aunt's bags.

Marge smiled and waited until Dudley had started taking her things upstairs to the spare room before she looked at Petunia, Vernon, and Sirius. Recognizing sending Dudley out of the room as a need to have a private conversation., she studied the others shrewdly. "What's going on?"

x

Upstairs in his room, Harry had just finished his Charms homework when the lights flickered briefly—Dudley's signal that he was coming into the room. Setting his homework aside—and making sure his ink bottles were very secure, Harry looked away for a second before saying, "I'm sorry I got so upset earlier. I just hate… I hate being deaf…even partially. I hate that I'm missing a leg… and I hate that Sirius can't fix me up good as new when I get hurt. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you and I am sorry."

Dudley sat down on Harry's desk chair and studied his cousin for a while. "I'm your friend, Harry. I'm your family, your friend… Whatever you need." Grinning, he stood and added, "Come on. Mum made spaghetti and meat sauce."

Harry carefully inched forward and took his crutches, slowly standing after putting his prosthetic back on. Once he was up, he followed Dudley downstairs to dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, I mentioned in the first chapter that Harry is one of three deaf students at Hogwarts. My question to you, the readers, is this: Who should the other two students be? Keep in mind that I have crossed Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger off that list since both are in this chapter and both are hearing.

Chapter 2

* * *

The morning of his birthday, Harry slept late, finally making his way slowly down the stairs after getting up and putting his hearing aids in. He stopped dead on the first landing, however, as he noticed that the only person present in the sitting room was his Aunt Marge. When she saw him, she set down her cup of tea and smiled as she said, "Good morning, Harry. Did you sleep well?"

Harry limped into the sitting room and slowly sat down, looking around as he did so. "Where is everyone?" Harry asked, signing as he spoke.

Marge shrugged, casually, taking another sip of her tea before setting it down again. "Vernon had to go into work and he said he was dropping Petunia and Dudley off in the city. They're spending the day shopping for Dudley's new school things, I expect." After finishing her tea, she added, "Your godfather left a note that he would be away the next few days to visit an old friend from school. A…Remus Lupin. Apparently, your school headmaster wishes Mr. Lupin to teach this upcoming year."

"Oh," Harry replied, disappointed. Leaning back in the chair, he felt dejected that he was basically alone on his birthday. "Alright."

Trying to keep her expression neutral, Marge stood and gave her nephew a light smile as she said, "I may not be as good a cook as Petunia, but I'm sure I can fix a proper birthday breakfast for you."

Cheering ever so slightly, Harry followed his other aunt into the dining room and nearly fell over as the Dursleys, Sirius, and his two best friends—Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger—shouted, "SURPRISE!"

Harry staggered backwards and would have fallen if Marge and another man he had never seen before hadn't been behind him. "B-But I thought you all forgot about…"

"Like we'd really miss your birthday, mate," Ron said, grinning like mad. "Your aunt sent a letter that you were down because of the leg and everything so she planned a surprise party."

Once Sirius had done an expansion charm on the dining room table, he, Petunia, and Hermione set to work making a huge breakfast of sausage, eggs, skillet potatoes, and fruit salad while Dudley revealed—not two, but three—boxes of freshly made sticky buns from Harry's favorite bakery.

"I apologize for Sirius' rude behavior," the mystery man said, after a while, holding out a hand for Harry to shake. "I'm Remus Lupin."

Sirius turned to his old friend and shot him a look before turning to Harry. "I wasn't being rude," Sirius snapped, defensively. "I was going to introduce you later, Moony."

With a smile that clearly indicated he'd been through similar situations with Sirius before, Lupin's tone bordered on amusement as he spoke, "Sure you were, Padfoot."

Changing the subject as Harry propped his injured leg up on the chair next to his, Hermione asked, "When do you get out of the cast?"

Harry shrugged, his good mood fading slightly. "I'm supposed to get it off later today," he replied. "But the doctor has to take x-rays and everything to see if my leg has healed properly. If it hasn't, then I'll have to keep the cast on longer. Or they may have to do more surgery."

Harry's words brought the mood of the entire room down and even Sirius looked glum at the prospect of his godson needing further surgery for his leg. Everyone seemed to look like they wanted to say something encouraging to cheer Harry up, but they all remained silent for fear of the words raising false hopes.

Vernon broke the silence as he fixed his nephew with a determined look. "Now you listen here," he said, sternly, signing crisply as he spoke. "I have never known you to give up. You've taken everything that's happened and you've dealt with it. If there are any further problems with that leg of yours, we'll deal with that, too. Understand?"

Tears welled in Harry's eyes and he nodded. "Yeah. I understand." Managing to crack a small smile, he added, "Thanks, Uncle Vernon."

x

After a lengthy breakfast—which was mostly spent trying to cheer Harry up—the table was cleared by Ron, Remus, and Vernon while Marge and Petunia placed Harry's birthday gifts and cards on the table.

Tearing into the gifts, Harry got some new books from Hermione and Aunt Marge, a new computer from Vernon, new clothes from Petunia, a set of plastic snake models from Fred and George Weasley—Ron's older twin brothers—a book on the history of Quidditch from Ron, a journal from Remus, and a small mirror from Dudley.

' **Sirius said that he and your dad used to talk using those when they were in separate detentions,'** Dudley explained when Harry looked puzzled at the gift. **'This way you and I can talk when you're at Hogwarts.'**

"I love it, Dudley," Harry replied, sincerely. "Thank you." Looking at the piles of empty envelopes from cards and torn wrapping paper, Harry tried to remember what Sirius' gift had been but he didn't recall seeing anything from his godfather.

Sirius—seeing the confused look on Harry's face—grinned and stood from the table before pulling out a large package from the walk-in pantry. "You didn't really think I'd forget, did you?" He said, beaming.

Harry took the package and tore into it, his jaw dropping as he unwrapped a brand new Firebolt broomstick. "Sirius, you didn't… I mean, I already have…"

"I know you've already got your Nimbus 2000," Sirius explained as he withdrew an official looking letter from the strewn wrappings. "But I had this custom made for you. It's got extra securing charms and a load of other features." Sirius hesitated as he watched Harry read the letter, hoping his godson wouldn't think that it was some way of being overprotective.

But reading the list of special features his new broom had, Harry smiled as he looked up at Sirius. "I love it, Sirius. Thank you so much."

Sirius felt tears well up in his eyes as he silently signed, **'Love you, Prongslet.'**

X

After the dining room had been cleaned up—again—and Harry's birthday gifts had been taken up to his bedroom, Harry got dressed and when he got back downstairs, Marge was waiting for him. "You're taking me to my appointment?" Harry asked, surprised.

"If you don't mind," Marge replied. "I asked Petunia and she said it was alright with her and Vernon if it's alright with you."

Harry shrugged, not minding at all. In fact, as he thought about it, this would probably be the first time he's ever had any real one-on-one time with his other aunt. "It's fine by me," Harry agreed as he followed Marge out to Petunia's car.

Once the two were headed into the city towards the medical office that housed Harry's pediatrician, Marge glanced over at Harry and noticed the long scar on his right arm. "Was that from breaking your arm last year at school?"

Harry nodded, studying the scar as well. He'd been after the snitch during a quidditch match when a rogue bludger slammed into his arm, fracturing his radius and ulna. After landing quickly, though he'd still been able to grab the snitch before doing so, Harry's teammates had escorted him to the hospital wing at Hogwarts before Dumbledore took him to the nearest muggle hospital.

Seeing how quiet Harry was being, Marge again felt worried for her nephew. She'd done plenty of research over the years and discovered that children with long time injuries or illnesses were prone to depression. Perhaps she needed to talk to Vernon and Petunia about Harry starting some sort of treatment or counseling.

x

The doctor's office wasn't very busy when Harry and Marge arrived, so finding a seat was no problem. One of the secretaries at the check-in desk recognized Harry and promised to alert his doctor that he was in.

Sitting in the waiting area, Harry pulled out his left hearing aid as he felt his ear start to itch. After dealing with the problem, he put the hearing aid back in, leaning back in his chair with a small sigh. He remembered when he was little and he'd seen a girl not much older than himself at the playground one afternoon. The girl, he learned later, was deaf and she'd also worn hearing aids. When she'd tried to play with the other kids, they'd ignored her and one boy had actually pushed her down, making her cry.

Feeling Marge nudge him gently, Harry looked over at her as she signed, **'Are you alright?'**

' **Yeah,'** Harry replied, silently. **'Just… thinking about things. You know…back before I lost my hearing.'**

Marge couldn't remember Harry ever really talking about before the meningitis and she shifted in her own chair to face him better as she signed. **'Tell me. I want to know.'**

Harry shrugged and looked away for a moment before turning back to his aunt and telling her the story of that day on the playground. When he'd finsished, he hesitated for a moment before adding, **'I should have stopped those boys from picking on her. But I didn't. After I lost most of my hearing and had to use the hearing aids and learn how to sign, I talked to her at school. She was nice. Her name was Nina Korman.'** Catching moment as the door to the doctor's office opened, Harry saw Dr. Trudy Vish looking at him. Gesturing to his aunt that it was their turn, Harry stood, sliding his arms through the loops on his crutches and followed the doctor back to an exam room, Marge following behind.

Once in the exam room, Trudy brought out a wheelchair and looked at Harry before turning to his aunt. "We're going to get some x-rays of Harry's leg and then we'll take it from there."

Marge nodded and watched the doctor wheel Harry out of the room and down the hallway, remembering when she'd first seen Harry in the hospital after the meningitis.

She'd not seen her brother and nephews in nearly 3 years when her sister-in-law, Petunia, called her 5 years ago.

It wasn't that she didn't get along with her family—far from it. But her dog business was time consuming and between dealing with trainers, breeders, and everything else, she rarely had time to visit.

Then Petunia had called, sounding incredibly haggard as she explained the current situation. An outbreak of meningitis had broken out at Harry and Dudley's school and both boys were in the hospital. Dudley was completely deaf and Harry had lost roughly 80 percent of his hearing as well as his right leg due to infections.

Marge had headed out immediately and while she was relieved to see Dudley sitting up and looking well—or as well as possible given the total loss of his hearing—she'd been surprised at how withdrawn Harry looked.

Lost in her own thoughts and memories, Marge jumped at bit when the door to the exam room opened and Harry and Dr. Vish came back in. "How long will it be before you have the x-rays?" Marge asked, curiously.

"Shouldn't be more than a half hour," Trudy assured her. "If Harry's leg has healed properly, we'll get him fitted for supportive knee and ankle braces today."

Harry nodded in understanding, but his nagging doubts from earlier rose up again and he asked, "What if I'm not healed up yet?"

Trudy hated to admit that she'd had the same thoughts—especialy considering the extent of Harry's injuries. Sitting down on a nearby stool, she replied, "In that scenario, best case you'll be in the cast for another two to 4 weeks. Worst case—meaning something hasn't healed right—you'll need further surgery. Then you'll probably be in the cast again for another 6 to 8 weeks."

* * *

Back at #4 Privet Drive, Hermione was watching Harry's Aunt Petunia as she prepared sausage and mushroom lasagna along with garlic bread and a spinach and chicken noodle soup. "I never expected Harry to be such a big fan of Italian food," Hermione said, musing out loud.

Petunia smiled as she remembered the trip the four of them had taken. "Vernon had an extended business trip to Italy so all four of us were invited along. Harry took to all manner of Italian cooking after that."

Hermione smiled at that and turned her attention to the dozens of cupcakes that covered the dining room table, waiting to be frosted. Instead of one big birthday cake, Harry had asked for cupcakes and as it was the one thing her mother had ever taught her to bake, Hermione happily obliged. "I never knew that," Hermione said, quietly. In truth, though Harry was one of her best friends, she had to admit that she probably didn't ask him as many questions as she should have.

Outside in the backyard, Lupin, Sirius, and Ron were helping Vernon set up the tables for Harry's birthday dinner. Since it was a beautifully sunny day and fairly warm, Petunia had said it would be easier to eat outside where there would be more room. Once everything was set up, Sirius shot a look at Lupin before giving a brief nod towards the house.

Lupin, getting the message, led Ron back inside, knowing that Sirius wanted to have a word with Harry's uncle alone.

Vernon looked at his nephew's godfather quizzically as Sirius sat down at the table. "What's going on?" Vernon finally asked, nervously.

Sirius let out a breath and decided to jump in. "First, I wanted to thank you for taking care of Harry all these years. When Dumbledore told me he was sending Harry to you and Petunia I was worried I'd never see him again. I was afraid Petunia would let her old feelings about her sister take over…or you'd be against having another child around. I was afraid Harry would be abused or mistreated, but… But you and Petunia have been as kind and loving as James and Lily would have been."

"We've loved having Harry here," Vernon insisted. "And he and Dudley are practically brothers."

Sirius's smile was brief before he turned to the second issue he needed to talk to Vernon about. "I'm glad to hear that. Because… I think Harry needs help. He's been depressed and moody lately and I'm worried about him. He doesn't want to talk to me…or Dudley. Maybe Harry needs to see a psychiatrist. I-I've done some asking about and there's a child psychologist about half an hour from here. She's an older woman, and she had a grandson who's a wizard so she knows about magic and all that."

Vernon sat down as well, his expression as serious as Sirius'. "I've been thinking the same thing. I thought maybe having Marge around would help cheer Harry up, but…" Turning to Sirius, he looked resolute as he said, "Get me the woman's number. I'll make an appointment for Harry."

* * *

Marge kept glancing at her watch as she drove Harry home from his appointment. They were running a little late as it had taken longer than expected to get Harry's x-rays back but the wait had been worth it as Dr. Trudy Vish had been immensely pleased with how Harry's leg had healed up.

After Harry had been fitted for the ankle and knee braces and was okay with short amounts of walking, Dr. Vish had referred Harry to a physical therapist in the same building and had given him an appointment time for the day after tomorrow.

But while Harry seemed to be happy to be out of the cast, he still seemed down and—when Marge had tried to get him to talk—had even turned his hearing aids off.

It was clear that Harry was not doing well emotionally and she knew that Harry needed to see a professional as soon as possible. She'd said so to Sirius the previous week when she'd first arrived and he'd promised to look into it and try to find someone who could help Harry who also had connections to the wizarding world.

As she and Harry got closer and closer to Privet Drive, Marge found the silence in the car becoming more and more deafening. It didn't feel right at all. Taking her eyes off the road for a moment to look at Harry in the passenger seat, she saw his startled look and turned back just in time to see a thin, scrawny, weaselly looking man dart in front of the car.

Seeing the man too late to stop or swerve, Marge hit the brakes, screaming along with Harry as the man bounced off the front of the car and rolled a short ways, before lying—unmoving—in the middle of the street.

Marge was out of the car like a shot, signaling Harry to stay put in the car.

In the car, Harry's heart was racing as he saw bystanders gathering around. He hoped someone nearby was going to call the paramedics and he wondered who the man was. His clothing was worn and decrepit, as though he were homeless.

After nearly 5 minutes, an ambulance pulled up to the scene and after assessing the unconscious man, he was loaded up and taken away to the nearest hospital. Shortly thereafter, the police arrived and Harry watched as they questioned his aunt and the other accident witnesses, taking statements as they did so.

When Marge got back to the car, Harry noticed the shellshocked and horrified expression on her face. He was surprised that the police were letting his aunt go, but perhaps she'd told them that she had to get her nephew home first.

But as Marge just sat behind the steering wheel for a minute or two, Harry started to worry. He'd just turned his hearing aids back on and was about to ask what was wrong when Marge suddenly pulled him into a hug. Wincing as his bad leg twisted the wrong way, Harry's cry of pain made Marge let go quickly. "Aunt Marge, what's wrong?" Harry asked, now feeling scared.

Marge took a deep breath before turning to face Harry. Signing clearly as she spoke, she replied, "The man I hit… the paramedics asked him his name." Hesitating a moment, she het Harry's eyes as she added, "It was Peter Pettigrew."

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUN!


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So sorry for not putting anything out sooner, but my creativity has been spotty at best and I've been trying to avoid overly short chapters.

Chapter 3

* * *

 _Hogwarts Castle_

Albus Dumbledore had been expecting an update on Peter Pettigrew's escape from Azkaban but he hadn't been expecting the update to come from Sirius Black.

As the former student paced his office, talking about how close Pettigrew had been, Dumbledore found himself increasingly worried, especially when Sirius revealed Pettigrew's status as an unregistered animagus.

"The first concern is Harry Potter's safety," Dumbledore stated once Sirius had finished speaking. "When you see Mr. Lupin next, please inform him that he is to be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And I would like you, Sirius, to stay in the castle this year as additional security."

Sirius nodded, not arguing at all. "Azkaban and the Ministry aren't sending any security?"

Dumbledore looked stern as he leaned back in his chair. "They wish to send the dementors here to guard against any attack and apprehend Pettigrew should he decide to come here."

Sirius froze at that news and his expression darkened. "Dementors? At a school? Are they _mental_?" Pacing angrily, Sirius felt his fear for Harry rising dramatically. He could barely keep Harry from getting hurt by normal means! How was he supposed to protect him from demonic creatures that could take away your very soul?

Dumbledore hated the idea as much as Sirius. "I have given the strictest of orders that the dementors not be allowed on the school grounds. They will be in a perimeter around the property, but if they come closer, they will be recalled." Seeing the younger wizard's expression, the headmaster sighed. "I don't like it any more than you, do, Sirius. But I am overruled by the Ministry of Magic."

* * *

It was well after 10pm when Lupin and Sirius returned to #4 Privet Drive and Petunia and Vernon looked grim as both wizards delivered their news.

Lupin had gone to the hospital for an update on Pettigrew's condition and had been alarmed by the fact that the doctors had reported that Pettigrew would be fine in a few days. "I hate to say it, but it would have been better if he'd been more greviously injured," Lupin said, looking at Marge who had come down from Harry's room.

When Sirius started for the stairs, Marge quickly stopped him with a warning glance. "Harry doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. He thinks that he wasn't told about Pettigrew being around because you think he's too weak and vulnerable."

"Sirius and I didn't say anything," Lupin argued. "—because we had no idea he'd escaped from Azkaban! If either of us had known we would have said something, I assure you."

Marge was understanding, but still, she looked stern. "I know that. But Harry's angry. He won't talk to anyone. Not even me." Looking apologetic, she put a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Give the poor boy time. He'll calm down."

"In the meantime," Lupin said, looking at Vernon and Petunia. "—we need talk about Harry's safety at Hogwarts this year. I wish we could ban him from Quidditch this year, but that would probably send Harry over the edge. It's really the only thing in his life that doesn't rely on his legs or his hearing. Taking that away from him…"

Petunia frowned, disapprovingly, at the idea of Harry playing Quidditch during his recovery, but she had to agree that it would be good to help lift his mood—something Harry sorely needed right now. Glancing upstairs, she worried about her nephew.

* * *

 _One Month Later_

King's Cross Train Station was bustling with activity as muggles, witches and wizards alike headed for their respective platforms.

It was the first of September, and magical families gathered around the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, waiting until they could carefully slip through the magical barrier to get onto Platform 9 ¾.

As Sirius, Remus, and Harry went though that morning, they narrowly avoided colliding with one of Harry's classmates, Ardelia Hotchkiss, a 4th year Hufflepuff who was also deaf.

After recovering from nearly getting knocked to the ground, Harry gave Ardelia a smile. **'Hey. How was your summer?'**

Ardelia—'Ari' to her friends—looked at Harry's crutches and the ankle and knee braces he wore. **'Better than yours, apparently. What happened? Are you okay?'**

Catching Sirius's eye, Harry nodded at his godfather before looking at Ari. **'Let's talk on the train.'**

' **Yeah, sure. Of course,'** Ari replied, following Harry onto the train and into an empty compartment.

Ari had suffered from chronic ear infections as a baby and by the time she was 5 years old, she had totally lost her hearing. And while she—like Harry—had taken speech therapy, she usually only spoke when in the classroom if a teacher asked a question, or to perform spells.

Once the two students were sitting across from each other, Harry related the story about falling down the stairs at home, just as Hermione and Ron entered the compartment as well.

"Hey, Delia," Ron said, as he sat next to Harry. "How was your summer?"

' **Good,'** Ari replied, trying not to smirk at the blush spreading across Ron's cheeks. **'We went to New Orleans, Louisiana to see my grandparents. We had an awesome time. Oh!'** Quickly grabbing her backpack, she dug at the bottom of the bag and pulled out three pendants. Separating them, she handed one to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"A Fluer de Lis," Hermione said, admiringly. "It's beautiful," she added. "Thank you."

Ron's pendant was a flattened coin with an image of a plantation house on one side and script on the other side. "Er…what does this say?" Ron asked, curiously.

' _ **Laissez les bons temps rouler,'**_ Ari explained. "'Let the good times roll.' It's the adopted slogan of the city."

xxxxx

It was not yet dusk when the Hogwarts Express came to an abrupt stop, startling the students who proceeded look out the windows, trying to see what had caused the train to stop.

' **We can't be there yet, right?'** Ari asked, looking out the window.

But suddenly the compartment became icy cold just as all the lights on the train went out, causing panic amongst the other students. "What's going on?" Harry asked, aloud, looking at his friends. But in the near darkness, Harry couldn't read any of his friends' lips, nor could he see their hands to see if they were signing.

The cold grew heavier and Harry stood, shakily, trying to see what was going on. Suddenly, he heard a woman's scream, augmented by someone shouting in fear.

The last thing Harry heard before losing consciousness was someone calling his name.

x

As soon as the lights shut off on the train, Sirius made a beeline for his godson. The cold and the absence of lights pointed to the dementors of Azkaban being nearby—presumably to search the train for Peter Pettigrew.

Pulling out his wand as he neared the compartment Harry and his friends were in, Sirius thought back to when he first saw Harry as a baby before shouting, "Expecto patronum!"

The dementor fled swiftly and down at the other end of the train, Sirius heard Lupin shouting the same spell. Mere moments later, the lights came back on and the train began moving again.

Hurrying into the compartment, Sirius stopped as he saw Hermione, Ron, and Ardelia helping Harry up onto one of the bench seats. "What happened?"

"Harry passed out," Hermione said, worriedly. "What was that thing?"

"One of the dementors that guard Azkaban Prison," Sirius said, trying to keep a lid on his anger. Once again, he cursed the fools at the Ministry of Magic who had given the okay for the horrid creatures to be used as security. Crouching next to Harry, Sirius gently rubbed his shoulder. "Come on, prongslet. Time to wake up."

It took a few minutes to get Harry to come around, by which time Lupin had joined the group and swiftly passed around pieces of dark chocolate which helped counteract the effects of the dementor.

* * *

By the time the students arrived in the Great Hall in Hogwarts, the news of Harry passing out on the train had spread and the Slytherins in particular were laughing and pretending to faint whenever they saw Harry.

Sitting at the Gryffindor table near the end—the better to stretch out his braced leg—Harry glared at Draco Malfoy who was joining in on the ridicule before reaching up and turning off his hearing aids.

"Harry, you need to give Malfoy a break," Hermione said, calmly.

' **Okay, I am NOT getting into this again,'** Harry signed angrily. **'Just because Draco and I are both deaf does not in ANY way mean that we're instant friends! Deaf people can be gits to one another, too, you know.'**

But Hermione wasn't letting the issue go and after making sure that Malfoy wasn't trying to 'listen' in on the conversation, she switched to straight signing to keep the other students from overhearing. **'Okay, hear me out. Last year during that whole polyjuice potion debacle, I asked Madame Pomfrey about Malfoy's deafness.'**

Harry let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. **'I know. I know. Malfoy was born deaf. His daddy's pissed about it and his mommy tries to make him feel better about it. Still not feeling any sympathy for him, Hermione.'**

Hermione glanced over at Malfoy before looking at Harry. **'There was an article in one of Mum and Dad's medical journals this summer on new adaptations of cochlear implant technology. If Malfoy got an implant, he'd be able to hear as well as you do with the hearing aids.'** Shrugging, she added, **'But of course, he can't get the implant…'**

' **Because his family's pureblood and no way would Lucius Malfoy want his son dependant on muggle technology,'** Harry finished, sighing deeply.

"Wait, how can either of you feel sorry for the git?" Ron asked, making sure to keep his voice down. "He's a snobby, arrogant—"

"Ron, he's only deaf because his father would _never_ let him get a CI," Harry argued, also keeping his voice quiet. "What if the Dursleys hadn't gotten me my hearing aids just because I'm a wizard? Same thing. Malfoy's father is handicapping him because of his bigotry against muggles and muggleborns.

' **I can't believe you two!'** Ron snapped, angrily—though, thankfully, he'd had the presence of mind to do so in sign language. **'Hermione, Draco Malfoy has insulted you countless times! He despises muggles and muggleborns! Harry—you're right. Just because you and him are both deaf does not in any way mean you have to be friends. He's a horrible person.'**

"I'm not saying that he isn't," Harry said, defensively. Shrugging, he added, "I'm just saying…Malfoy's bigotry is making his situation worse and he could easily be able to hear for the fist time in his life if he wasn't so prejudiced."

* * *

A/N: So…next chapter will jump ahead to the first Quidditch match of the season…and Harry gets hurt…bad.


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Yes, I am being even more cruel than usual to Harry in this story. But it makes for some very challenging writing since I have little to now experience with physical disabilities.

Also, to JWOHPfan… I did get a giggle at your review. I am so, so sorry, but… Yeah.

Chapter 4

* * *

The weather took a turn for the worse the night before the first quidditch match of the season and by the time Harry came down to breakfast, it was storming.

"They really should postpone the game," Hermione insisted as Harry sat down and helped himself to bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, and cinnamon rolls. "No one can play safely in this kind of weather."

"We'll be fine, Hermione," Fred insisted, giving Harry a nod. "You worry too much."

But before Hermione could press the point further, Oliver Wood came over, looking eager as he addressed Harry, Fred, and George, making sure to sign for Harry's benefit. "Ready for our first game?"

"Who are we playing?" Fred asked, curiously. "Hufflepuff, right?"

Oliver nodded. "Cedric Diggory is the new seeker and he's good, but he's not as nimble as Harry from what I've seen. Our main concern is the new beater—Ardelia Hotchkiss. She's got the power, but her aiming is horrid. Be careful out there."

When Oliver moved off to talk to Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson, Harry caught Hermione's look. "Hermione, please don't suggest I sit this game out," he said, a note of pleading in his voice. "We don't have a reserve seeker."

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to curb her worries and fears. "Okay. But I'm joining you in the locker room before the game." When Harry looked to start arguing, she added, "Unless someone else on the Gryffindor team knows how to do water-repelling and water-proofing charms."

"Fair enough," George said with a grin.

X

Up in the stands, Lupin and Sirius watched Harry closely as soon as the game kicked off two hours later.

It was always a thrill for Sirius to watch Harry who was as agile on a broom as his father had been. As had Lily, the more he thought about it. Lily had never been one for quidditch, but she had loved flying.

Lupin was also impressed with Harry's aerodynamics on his new Firebolt broomstick. Even in the tempest the game took place in, the teenager seemed to make his dodges and weavings look effortless as he flew around his teammates and opponents, looking for the golden snitch.

x

As Harry looked for the snitch, he tried not to be blown off course by the strong winds that buffered everyone about. Finally, he spotted a glint of gold and took off like a shot, zipping around Cedric Diggory who soon became hot on his tail.

Reaching out a hand as he neared the small, flying ball, Harry kept his left hand firmly on the handle of his broom as he stretched out as far as he could go, reaching for his prize. A split second glance to his right revealed that Diggory was doing the same, but refocusing on his goal, Harry grinned broadly as he pushed his broom the extra inches and closed his fingers around the snitch.

A split second later, Harry felt something slam hard into his back and his entire body exploded in pain, making him scream in agony.

The game and the snitch forgotten, Diggory moved swiftly to help Harry down to the ground where Lupin, Sirius, and Dumbledore were already waiting, a magical stretcher hovering nearby.

Once Harry was very carefully laid down on the stretcher, Dumbledore escorted him, Lupin, Sirius, and a small entourage of quidditch players and Harry's friends up to the castle and into the hospital wing.

"Dear Lord…" Madame Pomfrey said as she saw Harry brought in. "How bad is it? What happened?" There was general murmuring about the events but nothing specific. Withdrawing her wand, Pomfrey did a few basic diagnostic spells, trying to ascertain the damage.

Holding Harry's hand, Sirius couldn't tear his gaze away from the look on his godson's face. It was a mix of agonizing pain and pleading, as though Sirius himself had the ability to end the torment. "I-It'll be okay, Harry," Sirius tried to reassure him, although this seemed worse than any previous injury the teenager had had.

"It hurts," Harry gasped out, his voice heavy with pain and choked sobs. "Sirius, make it stop… It hurts so bad…"

Looking up at Pomfrey, hoping for good news, Sirius face fell when he saw the grave and horrified expression on the school nurse's face. "What is it?" He asked, quickly.

"Potter needs to get to a proper hospital immediately," Pomfrey replied, sharply, pointing her wand at Harry. "I need to immobilize him to prevent further injury."

Sirius's mind was in a whirl as Pomfrey put Harry in a Full Body Bind while Dumbledore turned one of Harry's arm guards into a portkey. Within moments, Sirius found himself in Waldenmeyer Memorial Hospital—a local facility catering to muggles as well as wizarding folk—along with Harry, Lupin, and—oddly enough—Ardelia Hotchkiss.

Nurses and healers came up to the small group quickly, one of whom Sirius recognized from Harry's last visit here the previous year. "Good heavens, what happened?" Laura Penn said, as she briefly examined Harry. "Why is he in a Full Body Bind?"

"Harry was hit by a bludger during a quidditch match," Ari said, quickly, the words coming out in a tumble. "H-he was hit in the back…" Tears in her eyes, she whispered, "I didn't mean to hit the ball that hard… I-I never wanted to hit Harry, I swear!"

Transferring Harry to a proper stretcher and starting to pull Harry's protective gear off, Laura said to her colleagues, "I want x-rays and an MRI of his spine." Glancing at the braces Harry wore, she ordered full-body scans as well before whisking Harry into a trauma room and closing the door behind her.

XXX

It was some hours later when Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore joined Sirius, Lupin, and Ardelia in the surgical waiting room. "How is Harry?" Dumbledore asked, looking from one worried face to another.

Sirius looked away, shaking his head, silently.

Ardelia looked horrified and her face was red and blotchy from crying.

Knowing the others were now fearing the worst, Lupin replied, "The bludger that hit Harry in the back fractured his spinal cord. He's in surgery. We've contacted the Dursleys and they should be here in the morning."

"How bad is it?" Hermione asked, more afraid than ever for her friend.

Lupin's tone was grave as he spoke. "The doctor told us the spinal fracture is a complete injury. Harry is completely paralyzed from the waist down."

Hermione slowly sank into one of the chairs, speechless at the news. This was one of those very few moments where she wished she didn't read her parents medical journals and textbooks. Looking at Ron who seemed somewhat confused, Hermione explained. "An incomplete spinal cord injury means that the nerves that transmit signals from the brain to the rest of the body are still intact—at least partially. I-It also usually means there may be a chance of full or complete recovery."

Ron nodded, slowly, indicating that he understood. "But… Harry's injury is complete. So… That means…"

Hermione nodded. "Harry's spinal cord was severed. He—He's not going to get better." Taking a deep breath, she went on. "Harry's paralyzed, so he won't be able to move of feel anything from the waist down. He'll… He'll likely be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."

Hearing the prognosis out loud, Sirius cursed himself for not doing a better job of protecting Harry. He should have done something to keep Harry from being up on that broom—

"This is all your fault," Ron snapped, angrily, glaring at Ardelia, his signing sharp.

Ardelia slowly stood, looking scared and upset. "I swear. It was an accident. I never meant—"

"You never mean to… what?" Ron went on, his temper rising. "To put my best friend in a wheelchair for the rest of his life? And why the bloody Hell would you even be up on a broom if you didn't know what you were doing? You could have killed Harry! What if Diggory hadn't kept him from falling off his broom?!"

"It was an accident!" Ardelia shouted right back, her voice choked with sobs. "I-It's so different actually playing as opposed to practice. The bludger came towards me and I just swung my bat as hard as I could. I wasn't looking where I was—"

Standing and placing himself between the two teenagers, Sirius looked from Ardelia to Ron. "I think both of need to take a deep breath and calm down. Okay?" Glancing at the members of the hospital staff who were watching the group, he tried to avoid saying 'You're causing a scene.'

But Ron wasn't done with his tirade, though he did switch to straight signing again. **'Did you pay attention to anything Hermione or the doctors said? Harry will never be able to walk again. He's going to need help getting dressed, bathing… going to the bathroom… And you don't even seem to care that** _ **you**_ **did this to him!'**

"Of course I care!" Ardelia shouted back after shoving Ron, roughly. "Harry's one of my best friends, too! It _kills_ me that I did this to him! I am going to have to live with this for the rest of my life!" With that, she ran out of the room, sobbing loudly.

Hermione glared at Ron before taking off after Ari.

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his neck, when he heard someone say his name. Turning, he saw Harry's surgeon—Dr. Charlie Bryce—coming into the waiting room. "How's Harry?" Sirius asked, quickly.

Dr. Bryce looked at the assembled crowd and got right down to it. "Harry's in recovery right now. We'll be moving him into room in about an hour, and then you can see him—two at a time, though, if you please."

Lupin looked at Sirius, knowing that his old friend wanted to ask about Harry's condition but was afraid to hear it, and turned back to the doctor, asking, "How is Harry?"

Bryce gave a light shrug as he replied, "We were able stabilize Harry's spinal fracture and we removed several loose fragments of bone. But, as you know, the nerves were severed, causing a complete loss of sensation and motor function. Harry's going to be in a full back and neck brace for anywhere from 3 to 6 months or until we're certain that he's not going to aggravate the injury and make it worse. Once Harry recovers more, we'll start him on physical therapy and dealing with the wheelchair and so forth."

"What about… the personal stuff?" Sirius asked, cautiously. "Going to the bathroom…"

Bryce smiled, nodding knowingly. "One of healers has developed a… a band of sorts that goes around the waist. It has magical sensors that detect when a patient has to go to the bathroom and… eliminates the waste. We'll use that on Harry to make things easier on him as he heals up."

x

Hermione found Ardelia in the upstairs cafeteria sitting at a table in the corner. "Ari?"

Ari didn't really look up as she said, "I don't remember having a single good friend in primary school. No one wanted to hang around the weird deaf girl. And my first year at Hogwarts was just as bad." Leaning back in her chair, she saw Hermione sit down next to her. "My second year I met Harry and suddenly… I wasn't alone. Even Malfoy, git that he is, knows what it's like. And eventually, I started making friends with other hearing students. And now, because of me, the best friend I've ever had is paralyzed because I was an overzealous berk."

Hermione put a comforting hand on Ari's arm before replying. "Ron's the same way. Believe it or not, he never had any friends when he was younger, either. With his family being poor and everything, he never got too close to many people outside his family. And now his best friend has been badly hurt, he's angry. He knows it was an accident, but being angry at you is easier than admitting that he's scared and worried."

Ari sat up, thinking for a moment or two about how to phrase her thoughts. "The thing is, I think I started to fall for Ron last year. I like him. A lot. And now all I can think about it that I've blown any chance we have of being a couple."

xxxxx

Harry awoke to the sunlight coming through the window of his hospital room. Groaning lightly as the pain in his back flared up, he did notice that it didn't seem quite as bad. That was, until he tried to sit up.

"Harry, you can't move right now," Petunia Dursley warned as she gave her nephew his glasses. "You really hurt your back yesterday." When Harry asked how bad, Petunia sat down on the edge of the bed, making sure that she was still in Harry's range of vision as she signed, "The blow to your back fractured your spinal cord, Harry. You're paralyzed. You're not going to be able move or feel your legs."

Harry felt his mouth go dry and his voice failed him. Thinking about his past injuries and visits to PT, he started thinking. **'So what now? I'm going to be in a wheelchair, or… Am I going to get better?'**

Petunia couldn't say the truth out loud since that would make it a reality. Instead, she just replied, **'I'm sorry, Harry.'**

Reaching a hand up to touch the back and neck brace he wore, Harry tried to take a deep breath to calm his frazzled thoughts. Paralyzed… He wouldn't be able to walk…

What about Hogwarts? After he got out of the hospital, would he still be able to return to school? There were dozens upon dozens of staircases in the castle. How would he get to his classes?


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So one of my reviewers-10thWeasley-brought up some points that I'd like to address. First being, the correlation between Harry's missing leg and being deaf to further injuries. The two aren't connected, strictly speaking. Harry's deafness and injuries and due to the fact that he was born with a disorder that prevents magical healing. So broken bones can't be healed instantly and limbs can't be regrown.

Next major point concerns Harry's visits to a psychiatrist over the summer to help him deal with his latest leg injury. I have never been to a psychiatrist and therefore I had no experience I could use to write those scenes. Plus, I didn't want to make the sessions generic with some shrink asking Harry, "How do you feel about what's happened to you?" I like to be in depth and emotional and I can't do that properly, so I left it out.

Question 3-Why did Harry go to live with the Dursleys if Sirius wasn't in Azkaban? That is answered in this chapter.

And lastly-Peter Pettigrew. The weaselly rat bastard did manage to escape and run off to find Voldemort. But he's not really relevant to the story right now, so...

* * *

 _ **13 Years Ago**_

 _Hearing someone knocking on the front door of her new home, the last person Petunia Dursley expected to see was her older sister, Lily._

 _Lily looked hesitant, as though unsure she was welcome, but there was a look in her eyes that was both sorrowful and hopeful. "It's been a while," Lily said, finally, trying to make small talk. Glancing about the neighborhood, she asked, "May I come in?"_

 _Petunia paused at the door, part of her wanting to slam the door in her sister's face—shutting the door on all the strangeness that had invaded her life when she was younger. But another part of her wanted to reconcile. It was that part of Petunia that led to her stepping aside, holding the door open._

 _Once the two sisters were in the sitting room with tea and cookies, Lily took a deep breath and began with why she had come. "I, uh… I missed you and Mum and Dad's funeral. I'd hoped we could talk then about things."_

 _Petunia felt an ache in her heart at the reminder of her parents' deaths and she replied, "I still felt angry at them for how they seemed to prefer you over me. I wanted to go to the service, but I just couldn't put my feelings aside."_

 _Lily nodded, understandingly. "I figured as much. I don't blame you, Petunia. If you'd been the one with magical abilities, I would have been jealous, too." Sipping her tea, she went on. "I stopped by today because I just found out I'm having a baby. I haven't even told James yet." Reaching out to put a hand on Petunia's forearm, she said, "I wanted to tell my sister first."_

 _Those words sparked something inside of Petunia. She remembered before Lily had gone to Hogwarts how the two had shared so much with each other. They'd talked about what kind of boy they'd want to marry or living next door when they grew up so their kids could be best friends. Petunia wanted that back. "The truth is," she replied, "I just found out that I'm pregnant, too. The doctor called this morning. I was going to tell Vernon when he gets home from work."_

 _Lily smiled and she leaned back on the couch. "Remember when we were little and we talked about living next door to each other? Our kids growing up together?" With a hopeful look, she added, "Maybe that could still happen."_

 _xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 _And so the sisters began mending their relationship._

 _At first, it had been small things like talking about possible baby names over lunch or remembering happier times as children._

 _As both soon-to-be mothers got bigger, they went chopping for maternity and baby clothes._

 _When Petunia went into labor while Vernon was out of town, Lily and James had rushed her to the hospital where she gave birth to a perfect baby boy named Dudley._

 _Two months later, while visiting her sister and nephew, Lily had had her baby whom she named Harry—after her father—along with the middle name 'James' after her grandfather, although James Potter believed his wife had named their baby after him._

 _Lily and Petunia had even planned a joint party for their sons' first birthdays._

 _xx_

 _Days before the party, Lily went to Petunia's house after Vernon had left for work and once the two were seated at the kitchen table, Lily pulled out a small stack of papers, passing them over to her sister._

" _What's this?" Petunia asked, curiously as she skimmed the documents, her eyes growing wide as she read in depth. Looking up sharply, her eyes filled with fear and worry, she tried to think of anything to say._

" _Petunia, my family is in danger," Lily explained, sadly. "We're going into hiding tonight. I don't want to say too much in case anyone comes after you, Vernon, and Dudley, but—"_

" _Is this about Voldemort?" Petunia wanted to know, the last word spoken in a whisper. When Lily nodded, Petunia put a hand over her sister's, squeezing gently. "If anything happens to you and James, I promise we'll take care of Harry."_

 _xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 **Halloween….**

 _The trick-or-treaters had all come and gone and Dudley was down for the night when Vernon Dursley heard something outside. Not wanting to wake his son and wife, he went to the front window and looked out, frowning slightly at the two shadowy figures standing across the street in front of the house the Potters hoped to move into next month._

 _Watching the two figures a while longer, Vernon stiffened when the moonlight shone upon their faces, revealing the pair to be Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore—two people he recognized from the photos his sister-in-law had showed him before._

 _Hearing the sound of a motor engine coming closer, Vernon watched as a flying motorcycle landed smoothly and a younger man got off, holding a large bundle in his arms._

 _X_

 _Sirius hadn't wanted to give his godson over to his aunt and uncle, but when Hagrid had arrived at the half-demolished safe house the Potters had been staying in, Sirius had insisted on doing the deed himself, citing that it was what James and Lily would have wanted._

 _Now, though, as Sirius handed little Harry over to Dumbledore, he looked across the street and saw someone looking out the window of Number 4 Privet Drive._

 _As Dumbledore walked up to the front door to deliver Harry properly, McGonagall put a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder while giving him a sad smile. "What are you going to do now?" she asked, curiously._

 _Sirius shrugged as he looked at what would have been his best friend's new home. "I'll stay here," he said, at last. "Keep an eye on Harry… try to keep him out of trouble."_

 _Despite the severity of the situation, McGonagall couldn't help the smile and twinkle in her eye at those words. Looking up at the Dursley home, she saw the front door open and the lights turn on as Vernon took his nephew in._

* * *

 _Present Day_

Later in the afternoon, Ardelia entered Harry's room, grateful that he was alone at the moment. She's been running though her apology ever since the previous evening, but it sounded lame in her head. After a while, when Harry gave her a quizzical glance, she gave Harry a sorrowful look as she said, **'I am so sorry for what happened. With the wind and the rain… I didn't see you there. But that's not an excuse. I should have been more careful and I hope you'll forgive me for what I did to you."**

Harry reached for the remote at his side and adjusted the hospital bed so he was sitting up slightly before replying, "It was an accident. Just… Just bad luck." He could tell that Ari wanted forgiveness for getting him hurt, and it wasn't like he blamed her for what happened. "The truth is… I did this to myself." When Ari started to argue, he cut her off, his signing crisp. "I shouldn't have been out there in the first place. Between recovering from my left leg being messed up and the storm, I knew it was risky. But I didn't want to miss the game because of my injury or because I might get hurt worse." Angry tears filled his eyes as he added, **'I was so stupid.'**

As Ari sat down next to Harry's bed, she noticed that Harry didn't have his hearing aids in and so she waited until he was looking at her before she said, "You're not stupid. And this is going to be hard. But I know you're tough and I know you'll get through this."

In truth, Harry was tired of being tough, of trying to adapt to whatever injury befell him. And the idea of being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life… Sighing, he realized that this was once again something that would change how he lived his life. Looking at Ari, he said, "When I lost my leg, it wasn't just because of the meningitis. At first, it was a below the knee amputation. But I got another infection in my knee and because my immune system was already compromised, the doctors didn't want to take any chances so they removed more of my leg up to midthigh."

Looking down at where his leg had been, Harry went on. "Losing my hearing I was okay with, believe it or not. With the hearing aids, I can hear as well as anyone. But losing my leg… learning to walk with the prosthetic… That was different. People treated me different once they knew and I hated when people saw I was missing my leg." Touching the back and neck brace he wore, he added, "And now they're going to be staring at me when I go back to Hogwarts in a wheelchair."

Ari was about to reply when she felt someone touch her shoulder. Turning, she saw Ron and Hermione standing in the doorway. Turning back to Harry, she gave him a smile and signed, **'I'll see you later, okay?'**

' **Sure,'** Harry replied as Ardelia stood up and headed out of the room while Hermione took her spot.

x

Ardelia didn't make eye contact with Ron until she felt his hand on her arm, surprised that the gesture was comforting rather than threatening, given Ron's attitude the previous night.

Before Ardelia could apologize to him again, Ron held up a hand to stop her. **'I was out of line last night,'** Ron signed, looking embarrassed. **'Harry's my best friend and hearing how bad he was hurt… I was angry. Mostly at him for being out in that storm. But that's no excuse. I know you'd never hurt Harry on purpose. I'm sorry I yelled at you.'**

"I'm sorry, too," Ardelia replied with a nod. "I should have been more careful." Leaning against the wall, she glanced in the direction of Harry's hospital room. "If Harry didn't have that stupid disorder, the healers could fix him up in no time."

Ron paced about for a moment, before facing Ardelia again. "When Oliver Wood started playing quidditch," he began, thinking of the story Fred had told him earlier. "—my brothers, Fred and George, were just learning how to play on the team. Fred hit the bludger too hard and hit Oliver in the head. Oliver ended up in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts for almost a month 'cause of the injury."

Ardelia knew Ron was trying to cheer her up, but it didn't make her feel much better. Seeing Harry's aunt coming down the hallway, she started to head in the opposite direction, but Petunia called her back.

Ron headed into Harry's hospital room while Petunia Dursley led her nephew's friend upstairs to the cafeteria. Once the two were seated at a corner table with cups of hot chocolate, Petunia spoke, signing as she did so. "We didn't know about Harry's magical immunity disorder until he got sick with meningitis. After he lost his leg and his hearing, Sirius tried having a healer fix him up, but to no avail. Vernon and I were warned that Harry needed to learn to be careful. That any injury could lead to permanent problems."

Ardelia didn't say anything, but rather just focused on what Petunia was saying.

Petunia went on. "When Harry returned to school after he got better, he was playing on the playground and he fell off of the jungle gym, breaking his leg. I knew at that point that no matter what Vernon and I did, Harry would always be at risk for injuries. I've always worried that something like this would happen."

"It was an accident," Ardelia said, insistently. "I swear, I didn't mean to—"

"I know that, dear," Petunia cut in, holding up a hand to stop the teenager's apology. After a pause, she went on. "This summer, Harry was just walking down the stairs when he missed a step and fell. He broke his ankle and tore the ligaments in his knee." With the slightest smile, she added, "Accidents happen. But with Harry, they have severe consequences… Very often, those consequences are permanent."

Leaning back in her chair, Ardelia knew that Petunia wasn't trying to reassure her, but rather remind her of the severity of Harry's situation.

* * *

 _5 Months Ago_

 _It was only a second between Harry looking up from the stairs to crashing down, landing hard on his left leg. The sound and feeling of his ankle breaking coupled with the feeling that someone was tearing his knee apart from the inside made him scream in pain as he tried to stop himself from going head first the rest of the way down the stairs._

 _Harry's cries of pain brought Vernon, Petunia, and Sirius running in followed by Dudley, who stared at his cousin's twisted leg._

" _What happened?" Petunia asked, rushing to Harry's side and moving him gently so he was sitting on the stairs better._

 _Unable to talk aloud as he was crying from the intense pain in his leg, Harry hastily signed,_ _ **'Missed a step. Fell.'**_

 _Petunia nodded to Sirius who joined her at Harry's side and together, the two adults slowly helped Harry up, making sure he was balancing on his prosthetic leg before carefully helping him out to the car where Vernon joined them._

 _x_

 _Once at Rowena Memorial Hospital—a medical center that catered to muggles as well as witches and wizards—Harry, Sirius, and the Dursleys were greeted by Healer Victor Grant who quickly summoned one of the nearby nurses._

" _What happened?" Grant asked as Vernon and Sirius helped Harry over to the chairs in the waiting area._

" _Harry fell down the stairs and landed on his left leg," Petunia explained as the nurse gently probed Harry's injured leg._

" _Looks like a broken ankle and knee sprain," Bryce Nolan said to Grant as she stood up._

 _Grant withdrew his wand and pointed it at Harry's leg, magically splinting it before asking Bryce to fetch a stretcher. Turning to the Dursleys and Sirius, Grant said, "We'll get Harry fixed up in no time. Few healing spells, and—"_

" _Harry's resistant to magical healing," Sirius cut in. "Has been ever since he was born."_

" _Alright," Grant replied, nodding. "Then we'll get Harry up to radiology and get some x-rays of his leg. Then we can talk about moving forward."_

 _Once Harry was whisked away, Petunia looked at her husband and Sirius. "Someone should go tell Dudley what's going on."_

" _Go home and take care of Dudley," Vernon said, decisively. "Sirius and I will stay here and we'll let you know what's going on with Harry as soon as we hear something."_

 _xxxxx_

 _Two and a half hours later, Harry was lying in a hospital bed, his left leg braced while Dr. Grant explained to Harry, Vernon, and Sirius what was going on. "Harry has a dislocating fracture of the ankle and two torn ligaments in his knee. Both of which will require surgery to fix."_

" _But you can fix it?" Vernon clarified, eying Harry carefully._

 _Grant nodded in confirmation. "We'll get Harry into the operating room tomorrow morning and repair both injuries. He'll need to be in the hospital for about a week so we can make sure everything is set properly and he'll be in a full-length cast for 8 to 10 weeks."_

 _When Sirius went to fetch Petunia and Dudley, Vernon sat next to Harry's bed, waiting for the young man to look at him before asking, "How're you doing, Harry?"_

 _Harry shrugged, looking at the IV one of the other nurses had hooked him up to earlier. "Better now I'm on painkillers." Looking at his left leg before lying back in the bed, he sighed, deeply. "This summer is going to be horrible."_

 _Vernon put a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder. "You'll be fine. It'll be okay, I promise."_

 _Harry nodded, vaguely, not sure if he believed his uncle's reassurance._

* * *

 _Present Day_

When Vernon walked into Harry's hospital room, he studied his nephew for a moment before sitting down next to the teenager's bedside, making sure he was in clear view as Harry wasn't wearing his hearing aids.. "No matter what happens with your recovery," Vernon said, sincerely, signing as he spoke, "—I'm not going to make you stop playing that insane game."

That had been the last thing Harry had expected to hear. Even though it hurt his back to do so, he raised the incline of the hospital bed more so he was sitting up better. "You mean I can still play Quidditch?" he replied, feeling a glimmer of happiness for the first time since hearing that he was paralyzed.

"You still know how to play, right?" Vernon asked, eyes narrowed slightly. "And your arms still work?"

Harry started to try nodding before he remember that the brace didn't allow him to move his neck. "Yeah, I can still play, but—"

"No 'buts'," Vernon admonished, sharply. "Harry, there's only two things that I've seen make you truly happy—your friends and Quidditch. I know there's no way your friends are going to abandon you, no matter how badly hurt you are. And there's no way—with a clear conscience—I can stop you from playing a game that makes you happy."

As much as Harry appreciated the sentiment, he knew that the truth was that he'd most likely played his last Quidditch game. "Thanks, Uncle Vernon. Really… But this is the second time I've been hurt playing. I'd love to keep playing but it's clearly too dangerous for me."

When he saw the tears welling up in Harry's eyes, Vernon stiffened in resolve. As soon as Harry was looking at him again, Vernon made sure he was very precise as he signed and spoke. "Do you want to quit playing Quidditch?" When Harry seemed to start dodging the question, Vernon said, sharply, "Yes or no?"

Harry thought about it for a while. Did he want to stop playing? No. Being on his broom made him feel free and it was one of the very few things that didn't rely on being able to walk or hear. And even though it was clearly incredibly dangerous for him, that didn't stop Harry from loving the game. "No," he said, at last. "I don't want to quit. But I don't think I have a choice."

"No 'buts'," Vernon repeated, firmly. "If you want to keep playing Quidditch, we'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

It was the first time Harry had genuinely smiled since getting hit with the bludger the previous day.


	6. Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sometimes I actually like going to work when I'm stuck on a story because I occasionally get some really interesting ideas.

Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 6

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Castle**_

Even though Harry was in the hospital, Hermione, Ardelia, and the Weasleys still had classes on Monday.

Hermione, however, kept becoming distracted not only because of wondering how Harry was doing, but because she kept thinking about Draco Malfoy. Or, more specifically, how Malfoy was dooming himself with his own prejudices.

After nearly two weeks of pondering her approach, Hermione finally cornered Malfoy as he came out of History of Magic shortly after her. "We need to talk," Hermione said, taking Malfoy by the arm and quickly pulling down the hall and into an unused classroom.

"What do you want, Granger?" Malfoy snapped, irritably, as he dropped his bookbag on a nearby desk before turning to the muggleborn witch so as to better read her lips.

Hermione said nothing as she set down her own bag and withdrew a copy of an article from a medical journal. Handing the article to Malfoy, she watched him as he cautiously took it. At first, the Slytherin teenager's expression was questioning as he took the paper he was offered. Then he looked derisive as he saw the title of the article. This gave way to curiosity as he read, and as he reached the end of the article, Hermione saw a hopeful glimmer in Malfoy's eyes which was tempered with doubt and skepticism.

"What's this all about, Granger?" Malfoy asked, handing the article back as he sat on the corner of the desk. "Why in the world would _you_ , of all people, care if I could hear?"

Hermione set the paper aside and signed as she spoke. "Harry was hurt bad. He's going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. If he didn't have his hearing aids, he'd be in an even worse situation than he is now. Malfoy, your father's bigotry is handicapping you. A cochlear implant would open up whole new worlds for you."

Malfoy sneered at the idea but after a moment, he slumped as he stood and walked around the room. "When I was born, my mother was overjoyed to have a child. But when my father found out I was deaf, he wanted to get rid of me. He wanted to dump me in an orphanage. I was… I _am_ a disgrace to him." Facing Hermione again, he went on. "There's no future for me, Granger. In the past 200 years there have only been 8 wizards or witches who are deaf. And _none_ of them have done anything of real importance."

Hermione hesitated before she spoke, but finally, she countered, "9, actually. One of which is my Head of House."

Malfoy's eyes widened at that revelation. He'd never suspected that Professor McGonagall was deaf. "Does she… I mean, I never noticed if she used hearing aids."

"She has an invisibility charm on them," Hermione replied, with a smile. She grew serious as she looked Malfoy in the eye, signing crisply as she posed her question. "So my query for you is this: Which does your father hate more? You being deaf… or the idea of you relying on muggle technology to hear?"

Sitting down again, Malfoy thought about the idea of being able to hear. To not being reliant on others to translate when someone was speaking… To not have to focus on watching someone's face so he could read their lips… Hermione Granger was right, of course. Being able to hear would open up doorways that were—as of right now—closed to him. But her question raised a highly important issue. Lucius Malfoy detested muggles, muggleborns, half-bloods, and muggle-lovers. He would despise the idea of his own son being reliant on muggle technology to overcome his disability.

"I think I need to talk this through with my parents," Malfoy said, at last.

Hermione nodded, sympathetically, not envying her classmate as she imagined the future conversation. Giving Malfoy a comforting smile, she grabbed her bag and headed out of the classroom.

x

After a while, Malfoy didn't feel like going to the rest of his classes and instead he went up to the owlery, sitting by one of the pillars, letting himself get lost in his thoughts.

His mother would be on board with the idea of a cochlear implant, Malfoy knew. From day one, she'd tried to encourage her son to learn sign language, learn to read lips… to not let the sneers or insults get to him…even when they came from Lucius Malfoy himself.

It was so hard to deal with a disability when your own family hated you.

Draco often didn't want to go home for school holidays because it meant him facing his father who always had the same disappointed look whenever Draco got home.

And while it was true that Lucius Malfoy learned enough about sign language to understand what his son was saying, Lucius never signed to his son.

So which would be worse? Malfoy wondered as he slowly made his way down to the Slytherin Common Room. If his father refused to let Draco get the implant, then on the surface, nothing would change. Draco would still be deaf, but he'd also have to live with the knowledge that his father didn't care about him enough to do something about it.

But what if Draco—or his mother—could convince Lucius to let his son have the surgery? Would that create more problems? Would Lucius still look at his son as inferior because he needed help from muggles to overcome his disability?

Standing in front of the fireplace in his House Common Room, Malfoy eyed the small container of floo powder nearby and slowly reached out a hand towards it. Grasping a small handful, he flung it into the fireplace and waited for the flames to envelop him before he said, "Malfoy Manor!"

* * *

Visiting Harry in the hospital Saturday morning, Hermione was amazed at how much better the injured Gryffindor seeker looked after only two weeks.

Harry was sitting up in bed, still in the back and neck brace which was keeping his spine immobilized and his leg—unbraced—was propped up so it was at a proper angle. Since Harry—or one of the nurses—had pulled back the blankets, the stump where Harry's right leg had been was visible. Waving a hand to catch his best friend's attention, Harry waited until Hermione looked him in the eye before making the sign for 'you're staring'.

Blushing, Hermione sat next to Harry's bed before apologizing, not bothering to sign as she spoke since she noticed that Harry had his hearing aids in and they were turned on. "I never really looked before… your leg, I mean… the right one…"

Harry would have nodded if he could. "When the doctors told me I was going to lose my leg, I didn't know what it would mean for me. But after… when I had the infection in my knee… I thought I'd never be normal again. Plus with my hearing being mostly gone… But I learned to deal with it." Touching the brace he wore, Harry sighed. "This is going to be a real pisser, though."

Hermione let out a soft laugh. "Yes, it will be," she agreed. "I talked to your aunt and uncle and Sirius and they did say you seem to be healing okay."

Harry sighed again, rolling his eyes. "Great. I think." Catching Hermione's look, he said, "Once I'm out of the brace, I'm going to be in physical therapy to work on my upper body strength. And I'm still going to have to figure out how to get around Hogwarts in a wheelchair."

The statement brought up a question that had been on Hermione's mind for a while and she asked, "Are you going to be able to use some sort of motorized wheelchair, or…?"

"I wish," Harry replied, derisively. "But the fact that I'm going to be in a standard wheelchair has less to do with the electronics not being compatible with magic… and more because Uncle Vernon's health insurance policy doesn't want to cover it." Seeing Hermione's flabbergasted look, he smiled slightly. "And Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon can't exactly explain that I go to school in a magical castle that doesn't have elevators."

Determined to look on the bright side, Hermione shrugged lightly. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will come up with something. Like…some charm to turn the staircases into escalators or something."

"Yeah, that would work," Harry agreed, thinking on the idea. Seeing that there was something else on Hermione's mind, he asked, "So what's going on at Hogwarts?"

Hermione leaned back in her chair and said, "I told Malfoy about the article on cochlear implants." When Harry rolled his eyes, she pressed on. "Harry, what if there was something out there to heal your spinal cord injury but the Dursleys wouldn't let you have it? It's the exact same thing with Malfoy!"

Harry was weary of listening to Hermione defend Draco Malfoy but as he looked at his own body, he wondered what his life would be like if the Dursleys didn't care about him as much as they did. Oh, sure, Sirius probably would have covered the cost of the high-end prosthetic and the magically enhanced hearing aids but when Harry had injured his left leg, his aunt and uncle could have just written him off and not let him come home from the hospital. And if Sirius wasn't around, Harry could have ended up in an orphanage or foster care.

"So what's Malfoy going to do?" Harry asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "I heard he used floo powder to go home and talk to his parents. He wasn't sure if his father would let him get the implant."

"Let me know what happens," Harry replied after a while.

* * *

Getting back to Hogwarts Sunday evening, Hermione was surprised when—as she headed for the Great Hall for dinner—Draco Malfoy pulled her aside and to a secluded alcove in the Entrance Hall.

Malfoy was surprisingly energetic as he stuck to straight signing, no doubt so as to keep the conversation between the two of them. **"When I went home, I spoke with my father and mother. I told them all about the article and the cochlear implant thing."**

" **What did they say?"** Hermione wanted to know.

Malfoy sat down on a ledge nearby as his energy seemed to ebb slightly. **"Mum wanted to know more about it. Father… he flat-out refused to let me get the surgery. I asked him which he preferred—my being deaf or using muggle technology. He said that he would rather have me deaf than live with the idea of me relying on muggle technology."**

"I'm so sorry, Malfoy," Hermione said, aloud. She'd been afraid that that would be the outcome, but it was awful to hear about it.

Malfoy, however, wasn't done with his story. **"Mum went ballistic on him. She said he was keeping me deaf on purpose and if he stopped me from being able to hear, she'd divorce him, take all his money and pay for the surgery herself."** When Hermione's eyes grew wide in surprise, Malfoy smiled broadly. **"When I go home for Christmas, I'm having the surgery. By the time I come back to school, I'll be able to hear!"** Hermione didn't expect it when Malfoy stood and unexpectedly hugged her. "I could kiss you right now!" Malfoy exclaimed, cheerfully.

Everything seemed to stop dead in that instance and Malfoy pulled away as what he'd just said sank in.

Hermione seemed equally surprised but she smiled warmly. "How about we put our animosity aside and start over?" she asked, holding out a hand. "Friends?"

Malfoy smiled back, shaking Hermione's hand as he replied, "Friends."

* * *

The following weekend, Malfoy travelled to Waldenmeyer Memorial Hospital and after wandering about the hallways, he found Harry's room.

Harry wasn't alone when Malfoy walked in. There were four other people with him, two Malfoy recognized (Sirius Black and Ardelia Hotchkiss) and two he didn't.

Seeing his classmate in the doorway, Harry waved Malfoy over before glancing at his aunt and uncle. "Malfoy, this is my Aunt Petunia and my Uncle Vernon."

"Nice to have a face to go with the name," Vernon said, eying the Slytherin student warily.

Sirius put a hand on Vernon's shoulder as he turned to his godson. "Harry, we'll be outside if you need us."

After Sirius, Petunia, and Vernon left the room, closing the door behind them, Ardelia looked at her best friend. **'Did you want me to leave, too?'**

' **No,'** Malfoy interjected. "Please stay."

Ardelia sat down, as did Malfoy, and after a while, Malfoy said, **'Despite the fact that my father doesn't approve of my relying on muggle technology… he will allow me to receive a cochlear implant. Gr—Hermione told me all about it,'** he added, when Ardelia and Harry looked surprised that Malfoy knew about the implant.

"Wait, so… you really want to go through with the surgery?" Harry said, somewhat caught off guard that Malfoy was getting the implant.

But Malfoy wasn't surprised by the reactions. **'I always thought that there was no way to fix what was wrong with me. Now I find out that there is a way for me to be able to hear. Why wouldn't I take advantage of that?'**

Ardelia gave Malfoy a smile as she put a hand on his forearm. "I'm happy for you," she replied. "Really. I hope everything works out for you."

' **Thanks. But I'm also really scared. I mean, I've never been able to hear before. What if it's too much? What if I'm overwhelmed?'**

' **We're here for you,'** Harry promised, sincerely. **'Even Hermione and the Weasleys. Don't be scared,'** he added, reassuringly.

' **But what about afterwards?'** Malfoy wanted to know, a rush of thoughts and questions coming to him all at once. **'I mean, if I can hear I won't need to sign anymore, right? O-or should I? What if I can't get used to hearing my own voice? I—'** He stopped when he saw the intense look of pain on Harry's face. **'Are you okay, Potter? Should I get your aunt and uncle?'**

"No," Harry said, aloud, breathing hard. When Malfoy had gone into his rush of question, Harry couldn't help laughing which had aggravated his spinal injury, causing a lot of pain. After a while, Harry felt better and when he saw the stricken look on Malfoy's face, he gave him a weak smile. "Just… don't make me laugh, okay?"

"Sorry, Potter," Malfoy apologized.


	7. Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So since I mentioned last chapter that Minerva McGonagall was deaf, I figured that I should explain her situation. Also, Harry gets some good news...and some not so good news. (I'm not hurting him any further, so don't worry.)

Chapter 7

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was not born deaf, nor did she lose her hearing when she was young.

In fact, she'd only been deaf for a few years as the unfortunate result of a prank gone awry.

It was Fred and George Weasleys' first year and they had been too enthusiastic in setting up an exploding chair gag in McGonagall's classroom.

The explosion was supposed to be silent, apparently, but instead, the resulting noise permanently damaged the Transfiguration professor's hearing.

At first, Minerva had been angry with the Weasley twins and had been set on expelling them from school. Dumbledore had been more lenient and had deducted 150 points from Gryffindor for each boy and had given them both 3 months detention.

Meanwhile, after some consultations with a healer at Waldenmeyer Medical Center and a muggle audiologist, Minerva had been set up with magically enhanced hearing aids which seemed to fix the deafness.

Once she'd returned to the classroom, however, Minerva had been caught off guard by the way her students seemed to slack off or talk as though she couldn't hear them. Realizing that the fact that her new hearing aids were visible was probably sending the message that she had no idea what was going on in her classroom, the professor took the following weekend to consider her options before coming up with the perfect solution.

And so, Minerva had put invisibility charms on the hearing aids and proceeded as normally as possible in her classes. Soon—thanks to some rumor spreading from Fred and George—all the students kept in line as they'd heard that McGonagall's hearing had actually been amplified thanks to some magical enhancement.

* * *

November brought a warm spell and during a Hosgmeade weekend, McGonagall found herself out in the courtyard reading while a fair portion of the student body was visiting the nearby village.

It was not often that the deputy headmistress took her leisurely activities outside, but knowing that colder weather would soon be coming, she found a quiet, out of the way spot where she might not be immediately spotted by staff or students.

"Professor?"

' _Apparently, my secluded spot was not secluded enough,'_ McGonagall thought as she looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing before her. Marking her place and setting her book aside, she asked, brusquely, "What can I help you with, Mr. Malfoy?"

Malfoy didn't know how to phrase his query and seeing a few other students glancing over at him, he signed, **'Can we talk? Somewhere private?'** According to Hermione, his Transfiguration professor had gone out of her way to make sure that students didn't know about her disability and therefore, he didn't want to talk about it out in the open where someone might overhear.

McGonagall had wondered when Draco Malfoy would find out but she was delighted that his interest was out of curiousity, rather than a desire to take advantage of the situation. She stood, grabbing her book and nodded, leading Malfoy back inside the castle and up to her office.

When student and teacher were in the comfortable office, McGonagall gestured for her pupil to have a seat. "What did you wish to talk about?" she asked, curiously, sitting across from Malfoy and giving him her full attention, signing as she spoke.

Nervousness washed over Malfoy as he suddenly realized that he didn't know how to broach such a delicate subject. "Hermione Granger told me that you… I-I mean…" Taking a deep breath, Malfoy said, simply, "I know you lost your hearing."

Leaning back in her chair, thinking for a while, McGonagall finally withdrew her wand and removed the invisibility charms on her hearing aids before removing them and setting them to one side on the desk. "It happened about 5 years ago. You can asked Fred and George Weasley for the details," she replied, signing as she spoke. With a smile, she added, "It is also the reason I am always hard on you in class, Mr. Malfoy. Deafness does not dictate abilities. It is something you must learn to adapt to. I do not believe that being unable to hear means that you are incapable of learning and practicing magic."

Malfoy nodded thoughtfully before continuing. "When I go home for Christmas this year, Mum's taking me to Waldenmeyer Hospital so I can get a cochlear implant."

McGonagall studied her student closely and gradually, she smiled. "Good for you. But it's going to be a big change. You may have trouble adapting to being able to hear."

"That's what Potter said," Malfoy replied. Thinking for a few moments, he admitted, "I'm scared, Professor. Being able to hear… I don't know. There's explosions and people screaming…or crying. There's things out there maybe I'm better off _not_ hearing."

Even though he couldn't hear her voice, McGonagall's tone was much gentler than normal as she leaned forward and put a comforting hand on Malfoy's forearm. "But there are so many things that you could experience for the first time. Singing, laughter, the sounds of birds in the morning… Do not let fear stop you from getting what you really want."

Smiling gratefully, Malfoy nodded in agreement.

* * *

Harry Potter was bored.

He'd already done all of his make-up homework and essays for his classes as well as read the small stack of comic books Dudley had sent along.

Sighing deeply, Harry tossed aside the last novel Petunia had brought when she'd visited two days ago.

It had been a month and a half since the quidditch game and the doctors and healers had been pleased with how well Harry was healing up. In fact, Dr. Bryce expected that Harry could be out of the back brace sooner than expected. Of course, afterwards Harry would be starting physical therapy which had been bad enough after losing his right leg and breaking his left. This time around would be even harder as Harry had no sensation or motor function below his waist.

"You look like you could use some company," Sirius said as he entered his godson's hospital room and catching the young man's attention.

"That'd be great," Harry replied, sincerely, as he turned on his hearing aids. "I'm bored out of my mind right now."

Sirius glanced out into the hallway before turning his attention back to Harry. "Well, then I have some very good news." When Harry had adjusted the bed so he was sitting upright, he went on. "Dr. Bryce wants some scans and x-rays of your spine. If it looks like everything is healed okay, you can get out of that immobilizer brace today."

Harry beamed at the idea, carefully shifting position. "Yeah, that would be great."

"I thought that would cheer you up," Sirius replied. "Of course, the doc still wants you to wear a back support brace for another 3 to 6 months while you're working on physical therapy, but—"

"But at least I'll be out of this contraption," Harry finished, touching the back and neck brace. Thinking about the topic of his physical therapy, he asked, "Don't suppose there's any chance I can just do my PT at Hogwarts, is there?"

Sirius sat down next to Harry's bed, shaking his head. "Dr. Bryce wants you to stay here at least until New Year's. He says if you're moving around okay by then, you can go back to school. But he doesn't want you to overexert yourself, so I'm going to be staying with you to help out."

While Harry hated the idea of someone helping him around Hogwarts, he was tired of being in the hospital and figured it could always be worse. "What about school?" he asked, thinking of getting around the castle.

Sirius looked pleased about something and he explained. "Dumbledore's going to have the stairs charmed so that they'll become escalators when you touch a certain point on the banisters. He said that it was Hermione Granger's suggestion."

xxx

Later that afternoon, Dr. Charlie Bryce studied the scans, x-rays, and MRI images of Harry Potter's spinal injury. The vertebrae had healed very nicely and everything seemed to have stabilized. Heading up to Harry's room, Bryce found his patient talking to his godfather and his friend, Ardelia. "Well, Harry," Bryce began, cheerfully. "You ready to get out of that brace?"

"Am I ever," Harry replied, eagerly. Once the brace was removed, he gingerly rolled his head across before doing a few more light stretches. "That feels loads better."

Bryce set the immobilizer brace aside and said, "Well, take it easy for the next day or two and on Monday, we'll get you into PT, alright? Nothing too strenuous, mind you. But you'll need to work on your upper body strength and navigating in a wheelchair."

Ardelia saw that Harry's good mood had deflated somewhat—no doubt due to the reminder he was still paralyzed—and she gave him a warm smile. Remembering that the doctor didn't know sign language, she said, **'Just think—next time one of the Slytherins makes fun of you, you can just roll over their foot.'**

Harry laughed at that image and nodded in agreement. **'But not Malfoy. I think he gets a pass from now on.'**

' **You're no fun,'** Ardelia smirked.

* * *

The next day, Harry was surprised to see Marge Dursley come striding smartly into his hospital room early in the morning. "Aunt Marge," Harry said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Marge had a no-nonsense look on her face as she sat on the edge of Harry's bed. "Put your hearing aids in first, Harry," she said, briskly.

Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he did as told, and once the hearing aids were in place, he sat up as much as possible, preparing himself for a lecture on his actions nearly two months ago.

First, however, Marge hugged her nephew tightly before nearly shouting at him, "Playing quidditch in the middle of a storm when you're recovering from a badly broken leg?! What in the world were you thinking, boy? _Were_ you even thinking? Do you have any idea how badly you could have been hurt?"

"Aunt Marge, I'm completely paralyzed from the waist down," Harry replied, defensively. "I think that's about as bad as it gets." But seeing his aunt's expression, he sighed, dejectedly, realizing that it could have been much worse.

Marge's face remained stern as she carried on. "You're lucky that bludger didn't hit you higher. You could have been paralyzed further. Do you understand? You could have been paralyzed from the chest down or worse. And if the bludger hit you from the front? You could have died!"

Harry leaned back as he took in his aunt's words. "I'm sorry," he said, sincerely. "Look, you… You don't get what it's like. It's bad enough being deaf and having only one leg, but I hate letting my disabilities dictate what I can and can't do. Plus, with the magical immunity disorder…" Tears stung his eyes and he wiped them away. "I know I shouldn't have been out in that storm. But it's too late to think about what I should have done." Looking at his lower body, he sighed again. "Besides…I think I've been punished enough for being stupid and reckless, don't you?"

Marge took a deep breath as she considered Harry's words. "You are _not_ stupid, Harry. Reckless, yes. But I would never consider you stupid. I know you were just trying to prove yourself. And if I had been in your position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same." When Harry lifted his shirt a bit to scratch his side, she added, "What is that?"

"What, this?" Harry replied, lifting his shirt further to expose the thin, elastic band around his waist. "Since I can't tell when I need to go to the bathroom, this band has special sensory charms. So when I need to—well, you know—it eliminates everything. At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about."

Remembering what Petunia and Vernon had said about Harry's condition, Marge was relieved that at least Harry wouldn't have to worry about having any accidents of that sort. But as Harry shifted position a bit, she thought about what else she'd been told. Harry would have trouble controlling his body temperature and he would have to worry about pressure sores from constantly sitting.

Talking about what might have been made Harry think even more about his present condition. It was strange. He didn't mind calling himself deaf or an amputee out loud, but every time he said the word 'paralyzed', it felt… very final. This was permanent. This was something he would live with for the rest of his life.

Seeing that Harry looked like he needed a little cheering up, Marge reached for the bag she'd brought with her and handed it to Harry. "Sirius said that you were feeling bored being here all the time, so I brought you some new books to read. Plus, a journal, in case you decided you wanted to write down your thoughts and feelings about all this."

Harry took a peek at some of the titles before setting the bag aside. "Well, after I start physical therapy I'm not going to have much time for reading. After just lying in this bed for weeks, I'm sure my upper body strength is a little lacking."

Taking the bag and setting it on the table next to the bed where Harry could reach it, Marge gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you'll be fine." But after a moment, her expression once again became stern. "But your accident has been causing Vernon and Petunia some trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Harry asked, worried. He knew that Vernon's ealth insurance wasn't covering a motorized wheelchair but was it possible that they wouldn't be covering anything because Vernon couldn't give details?

Marge straightened up as she explained. "The house on Privet Drive is ill-suited for someone in your present condition. My brother and sister-in-law are selling the house and looking for some place more wheelchair-accessible."

The news hit Harry like a ton of bricks and he didn't know what to say. But he also felt even guiltier for what he'd done because now his family would be moving. And what about Sirius? What if he didn't have his godfather living right across the street from him anymore? "We're moving?" Harry said, quietly.

Nodding once, Marge tried not to sound accusing. "Even with magic, the house would still be difficult for you to get around, and not just because of the stairs. By the time you come home on summer holiday, Petunia and Vernon will have found something more suitable."

Harry lay back, letting out a long, slow breath. He'd thought that he'd taken all the new changes into account—being in a wheelchair, getting around Hogwarts Castle, his bathroom habits… but he'd completely forgotten about during the summer when he'd be going home. But where would 'home' be this time?


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So since the Dursleys will be moving to a place more spacious, I started looking up homes in various styles. Kensington Lodge is an actual location and my ultimate dream home. Just Google it and look for the link from Wisconsin Log Homes.

Also, in this chapter, Vernon Dursley is awesome, we get to see Dudley again, and Draco Malfoy gets his implant!

Chapter 8

* * *

The snow started falling late at night on November 30th.

Unable to sleep, Harry looked out the window of his hospital room and wondered what would happen when he finally got back to school. The snow would make navigating in a wheelchair difficult and the colder temperatures would be a problem as well since Harry had been warned that he might have trouble not controlling his body temperature. Plus, he wouldn't be able to tell automatically if his lower body was too cold.

Eying the wheelchair parked next to the bed, Harry looked out into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear before very carefully moving so his leg was dangling over the edge of the bed.

The physical therapist had said that Harry's injured leg had healed just fine, as she'd done a few stretches of the limb. Harry, however, had not cared since he'd never be able to walk again anyway. Still, he thought as he slowly levered himself into the wheelchair, the last thing he wanted was to be paralyzed _and_ in a cast.

Making sure his hearing aids were in and turned on—the better to hear if someone was coming—Harry headed out of his room and down the hall.

The long-term care wing of the pediatric floor was quiet as Harry headed towards the patient lounge, which reminded him of the Gryffindor Common Room back at Hogwarts. It was a big, spacious area with several tables and chairs on one side, a few couches and armchairs near a big screen TV on the other, and a wall filled with books, board games, and a locked cabinet which contained three desktop computer CPUs.

Heading for the large window which overlooked the town, Harry didn't notice the figure sitting on the couch until he heard someone say, "Shouldn't you be in bed, Harry?"

Wheeling around quickly, Harry saw his uncle standing and looking both curious and critical. "I couldn't sleep," Harry replied, honestly. "So I… snuck out," he admitted, sheepishly. Wheeling over to the couch where his uncle had been sitting, Harry waited until Vernon sat back down before adding, "Aunt Marge told me about the move."

Vernon leaned back, letting out a long sigh. He'd wanted to wait until Harry was officially released from the hospital before telling his nephew about the move, but after Marge had been told about Harry's latest accident, she been very upset and had waited until she'd calmed down before confronting Harry. "Petunia and I were discussing how to ready the house on Privet Drive for when you got home this coming summer," Vernon explained. "But even with magical enhancements, we decided that we needed more room."

"I'm sorry my accident caused so much trouble," Harry said, glumly, looking away from his uncle. He didn't want to leave Little Whinging, but he couldn't deny that his aunt and uncle had a point. Plus, the stairs were difficult enough to manage on crutches. Perhaps the Dursleys could find some place with a nice bedroom on the ground level. Although there was the question of cost. Any home perfectly suited for someone in Harry's condition would _not_ be cheap. Facing his uncle again, Harry thought for a moment before he spoke. "I've got loads of money in the vault my parents left me," he said, quietly. "If I can use some of that to help you pay for all this…"

Vernon sat up quickly, eyes locked on Harry. "Have you been thinking that you needed to help us pay for a new home?" he asked, incredulous.

Harry went on. "Uncle Vernon, I'm the one who flew on a broom in the middle of a torrential storm. _I'm_ the one who took a bludger to the back and ended up paralyzed. If there's _anything_ I can do to help you and Aunt Petunia, I'll do it."

Leaning forward to hug his nephew, Vernon wished Harry's parents could see how incredible selfless their son was. When Harry returned the hug, Vernon smiled and patted the young man's back before pulling away. "You don't have to do anything. Sirius is helping us with the finances, and whatever place we move to, we'll make sure there's an extra room or a guest house for him to stay in."

When Harry didn't say anything in response, Vernon put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "Truth is… Petunia and I were thinking about moving _before_ your quidditch accident. You know…some place more spacious with a nice first floor bedroom for you."

Although he tried to hide it, Harry knew his uncle could see the tears falling down his cheeks. Wiping them away, Harry smiled and sniffled a bit as he said, "I love you, Uncle Vernon. Thanks."

Vernon gave Harry another hug before standing up. "Let's get you back to your room before your doctor or the nurses find you out of bed."

Harry nodded and followed his uncle down the hallway and into his room, parking the wheelchair next to the bed. Before Vernon had a chance to help him, Harry lifted himself back into bed, moving his leg up before getting situated and comfortable. Seeing the incredulous look on his uncle's face, Harry shrugged sheepishly. "I… may have been practicing at night with getting around on my own at night when I can't sleep," he admitted.

After studying Harry for a good long minute, Vernon fixed the teenager with a stern expression. "I admire you wanting to do extra work on your therapy," he admonished. "—but I do _not_ want you doing in with no one around. What if you fell and hurt yourself?"

"I'm just tired of taking it easy!" Harry said, exasperated. "Okay, so getting in and out of the bathtub is a tricky prospect, but everything else I'm doing just fine at. So why do I have to stay in hospital?" Harry flopped back against the pillows, trying to hide the wince as he had a small flash of pain in his back.

Vernon, however, caught the look of discomfort and waited until Harry turned towards him before replying. "Because you're still healing. And because you still need to build up your upper body strength. You're doing better, Harry, but don't push yourself too hard. You don't want to set your recovery back, do you?"

"No," Harry admitted, shaking his head and pulling out his hearing aids and getting ready to try getting to sleep again. "Night, Uncle Vernon. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Vernon promised with a smile. Catching Harry's attention before the teenager removed his glasses, he signed as he spoke, "And Harry? I love you, too. Good night."

* * *

The following weekend, Dudley Dursley could barely contain his enthusiasm as he entered Waldenmeyer Memorial Hospital.

Upon first hearing about Harry's accident, Dudley had been worried for his cousin and shocked to find out that Harry was paralyzed. This had faded into anger when he'd been surreptitiously reading his parents' lips while they had been talking about moving to someplace more suited to Harry's newest disability.

Because of his anger and resentment, Dudley had taken to a more aggressive nature when dealing with the bullies at his school and had even been suspended from school for a week after nearly breaking the arm of Peirs Polkiss.

Dudley had—up until now—refused to visit Harry in hospital. At first, it was because he'd been scared to see him. When Petunia had gotten home from seeing Harry right after the accident, she'd told Dudley about the back and neck brace Harry wore to keep him from further injuring his spinal cord. It had sounded like some sort of mediaeval torture device.

Later, after finding out about the move, Dudley had been too upset to see Harry, hating the idea of moving to a new school and having to deal with a whole new group of classmates teasing him over being deaf.

Last night, however, Sirius had come over to the house on Privet Drive, his excitement barely contained as he spoke about finding the perfect new house on the outskirts of Bristol.

As Dudley sat with his parents, looking at the photos of the exterior and interior, he found himself speechless as he realized that he could be moving into what was practically a private resort.

Petunia and Vernon had argued, saying that the place was far too extravagant, but Sirius was not to be dissuaded. After all, he explained, he had more than enough money in his own vault in the wizarding bank—Gringotts—plus there was the money from Harry's parents that they had bequeathed to Sirius after their death.

And so, this very morning, the Dursleys and Sirius were taking care of the purchase of Kensington Lodge.

Entering Harry's hospital room and finding it empty, Dudley sat on the bed to wait for his cousin to return. He thought about the folder he had in his knapsack filled with the pictures of the new house.

Catching movement in the doorway, Dudley turned to see Harry wheeling in looking tired. Standing up and stepping away from the bed, he signed, **'Hey. How are you doing?'**

' **Great,'** Harry replied, begrudgingly allowing his physical therapist to help him back into bed. Sitting up, he asked, **'What's up?'**

Dudley sat down in the chair nearby and replied, **'Mum, Dad, and Sirius are getting things settled for the new house.'**

"Already?" Harry asked, surprised. Vernon had only told him about it the previous week. "So where is it?"

Dudley beamed as he opened his bag. **'It's in this wooded country area outside of Bristol,'** he explained. **'There's a pool and an amazing first floor master bedroom suite for you with this incredible bathtub. Plus, there's 5 other bedroom suites, a common room… The kitchen is unbelievable. There's an outdoor kitchen, too… And, there's this guest house loft above the garage that Sirius is moving into.'**

When Harry took the folder of pictures Dudley handed over, Harry's jaw dropped. This place was beyond amazing and it even seemed to be isolated enough that Harry could probably practice flying on his broom without attracting any attention, as long as he didn't fly too high, of course. "This is too much," Harry said, after a while, signing as he spoke.

"That's not even the best part," Dudley said, grinning. "We'll be about 45 minutes away from Doncaster School for the Deaf."

Harry just stared for a moment before laughing. "Dudley, that's fantastic! I'm so happy for you."

Dudley couldn't help grinning either. **'I know. I mean… for once, I won't be alone. You know, I won't be one of just a few deaf kids. I can't wait. And Mum's going to talk to the school board to see if I can start right away next term.'** Changing subjects, he asked, **'So how are you doing with the therapy and all?'**

Harry noticed his physical and occupational therapists were talking out in the hallway with a couple of the nurses, so he switched to straight signing. **'There's a few things I still need help with but I'm doing great.'** When Dudley gave him a raised eyebrow, Harry chuckled. **'Really. I'm hoping—since we'll be moving to a much more spacious house—I can actually go home for Christmas.'** Seeing that Dudley wasn't completely convinced at his cousin's good mood, Harry shrugged. **'I still have back pain but it's not too terrible most days. The support brace helps. And I still need help getting in and out of the bathtub.'** Realizing that Dudley was okay with hearing the whole truth, Harry went on about living with being paralyzed. **'It's hard. I know it probably doesn't look like it, but it's a lot of work getting around and doing things on my own. I never realized how heavy I actually was till I had to lift myself into bed. And using the wheelchair is hard on my hands. My occupational therapist suggested that I get some of those fingerless biker's gloves. She said it would be easier on my hands.'**

Dudley could only nod as he took everything in. He'd never figured Harry's new life would be easy, but he'd never imagined that it would be as much work as Harry had described. **'I was always kind of jealous of you since you didn't completely lose your hearing and you can use the hearing aids. But thinking of everything else you've got to deal with… I guess it's easier that way, yeah?'**

"Yeah," Harry replied, shrugging, casually. But the truth was that if someone offered to rid him of the magical healing immunity disorder and fix his spinal injury and regrow his leg… but the cost would be losing the rest of his hearing forever, he'd take being totally and permanently deaf. _'You really don't know how lucky you are, Dudley,'_ Harry thought as his cousin went on about the new house.

* * *

Three days after the start of his Christmas holiday, Draco Malfoy found that he was very nervous about the following morning. His father had refused to hear anything about the cochlear implant and Draco had confided to his mother that he was afraid Lucius Malfoy might disown him.

Narcissa had consoled her son before leaving him at the hospital that night, saying that she could handle Lucius Malfoy.

Draco hadn't wanted to stay in hospital overnight. He'd wanted to just arrive in the morning before his surgery, but his mother had insisted, saying that it would be better to avoid to avoid Lucius as much as possible.

Still, being stuck on the pediatric floor was dull at night, and after slipping out of bed and donning his robe and slippers, Draco snuck out of his room, creeping down the hallway. Thankfully, no one was about at the moment, but when he caught a glimpse of a shadow moving nearby, he whirled around, coming face to face with Harry. Letting out a sigh of relief, Draco frowned as he signed, **'Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to sneak up on people?'**

Harry laughed as he headed back towards his own room, Draco following him. Once in the hospital room, the Slytherin student closed the door and perched on the bed, facing his classmate. Signing as he spoke, Harry asked, "What are you doing out at 3 in the morning?"

' **I could ask the same of you,'** Malfoy replied. After a moment, he shrugged. **'Scared, I guess. And not just about the procedure. Father is… Well, let's say 'not happy' and leave it at that. My world is about to change completely. I'm going to be able to hear for the first time in my life… I don't know. I guess when I pictured not being deaf I thought my father would tell me he was proud of me. That he was happy to have me as a son.'**

Harry hesitated before replying. Lately, he and Draco Malfoy were becoming friends and he didn't want to destroy that friendship. Still, being a good friend meant being honest… even if it was something Draco wouldn't want to hear, so to speak. "I don't think your dad is ever going to be the warm, accepting type. You shouldn't care what he thinks, anyway. Look at your mum. She's always been there for you because she loves you. She's been willing to help you and she'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. Your mum is the one who matters."

"Sometimes," Draco said aloud. "I wish I had a family like yours."

Harry thought about the new house and he wondered if hit aunt and uncle would be willing to let Draco move in if he needed to. "Well, I can't help you with the family thing but if you want, I could probably sit in when the doctors test your implant."

' **You'd do that for me?'** Malfoy asked, surprised that Harry would make such an offer.

But Harry just smiled as he replied, "I'm your friend. Of course I'll be there."

xxxxxxxxxxx

It was nearing 7 o'clock in the evening the next day when Draco sat in the audiology office with Dr. Tom Felton. Narcissa was there as well and she sat next to her son, holding his hand as the doctor started testing the cochlear implant.

"Draco?" Narcissa said, quietly. "It's me, darling. It's Mum. This is the sound of my voice." She squeezed her son's hand warmly as she went on. "I am so proud of you, Draco. And I want you to know that I love you very much."

Sitting on the other side of Draco, Harry noticed Draco straightening up ever so slightly as he heard his mother's voice for the first time. Seeing the overwhelmed look on his friend's face, Harry couldn't help the laughter that escaped him.

Draco turned quickly to Harry, eyes wide in wonder. "What was that?" he asked aloud. Frowning slightly, he pointed to himself. "That's me. I hear my voice." A moment later, Draco heard his own laughter. It was a strange sound, but seeing the tears of joy in his mother's eyes, he hugged her.

While Dr. Felton and Draco discussed further programming and testing of the implant, Narcissa caught Harry's eye before signing, **'Thank you. And tell Hermione Granger 'thank you' as well.'**

Harry beamed as he replied, **'You're welcome.'**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

After depositing the last moving boxes on the floor in the kitchen of Kensington Lodge, Petunia looked around her new home. Not that it actually felt like home right now. It was like moving into a private resort and her family and Sirius were the only guests.

Down the hall, Sirius and Vernon were putting the finishing touches on Harry's bedroom, making sure the setup was perfect for the paralyzed teenager came home for the summer.

Sighing, Petunia sat down on one of the bar stool set up by the kitchen counter. To an extent, the house came furnished—beds, chairs, couches… But all that made Petunia even more uneasy. It wasn't the house itself. The location plus the extra features made this place a veritable paradise…

But once again it was because of Sirius Black that this was all possible.

Whether it was covering Harry's—or Dudley's—medical bills, making sure Harry had the best of whatever he needed, Sirius had risen to the occasion, never batting an eye at the cost.

Petunia had, at first, been incredibly grateful, especially when Harry had been fitted for the prosthetic leg and when Sirius had helped magically enhance Harry's hearing aids.

But last week, when Sirius had found out that Vernon's health insurance would not be covering a motorized wheelchair, the older wizard had promised to cover the cost.

Especially with Christmas just over two weeks away, Petunia wondered what she could possibly give her nephew that no one else could.

"Mum," Dudley said as he came into the kitchen, waving to get his mother's attention. **'Dad went to pick up dinner. Sirius is finishing unloading all the boxes upstairs before he starts working on his stuff in the loft apartment.'**

"Okay, honey," Petunia replied, nodding.

Dudley waited a moment for his mother to say something else, and when she didn't, he sat down next to her. "What's wrong, Mum?"

Petunia gave her son a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder as she faced him. "It's nothing, sweetheart."

But Dudley was not convinced, and he fixed his mom with a look before signing, **'Something is bothering you. I can tell. What's going on?"**

It was hard to explain to Dudley why she was jealous. After all, Sirius had never limited his generosity to Harry. But when Dudley raised a questioning eyebrow, Petunia took a deep breath before explaining. "It's hard for a parent to accept help when it comes to your kids. Especially financial help. Sirius has never faltered in wanting to help pay for any of Harry's needs…or yours, for that matter. Even this house…he never even flinched before shelling out the money."

' **But Sirius can afford to do those things,'** Dudley argued, not sure what his mother was talking about. **'You and Dad aren't rich. I know you want to help Harry, but how would you have been able to pay for his hearing aids, the prosthetic…even when Harry was in hospital after this last quidditch accident. Yeah, Sirius has bought all of us stuff. But he does that because he loves Harry. Because he's trying to do the right thing…Just like Aunt Lily and Uncle James would have done if they were alive.'**

It had never occurred to Petunia that Dudley felt the same way about Sirius Black being in their lives. Now, she wondered if her son had already voiced these feelings and concerns to Harry's godfather. "I've tried to show Harry as much love and approval I can. I've always tried to treat him exactly as I would you, Dudley. But sometimes I think 'It's not enough'. I couldn't give Harry special hearing aids so he didn't have to deal with being deaf. I couldn't give him a high-tech prosthetic leg so he could walk better. And I can't make life easier on him now that he'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."

Dudley gave his mother a smile before he replied. Speaking aloud, he said, "You're the closest thing to a mother Harry has ever known. You and Dad have always been there for Harry _and_ me. When Harry and I got better after the meningitis, you never let us give up. You pushed us to learn sign language…for me to go to speech therapy…You never let Harry give up on walking with the prosthetic. You and Dad gave Harry as much love and support as possible. Trust me… that means more than anything money could buy."

Not bothering to hide the tears in her eyes, Petunia hugged her son, smiling. Looking up after a moment, she pulled away as she noticed Sirius standing in the entryway to the kitchen. "Dudley, why don't you try and dig up the plates, glasses, and silverware before your father gets home?"

Dudley turned around to see Sirius standing there looking awkward. Turning back to his mother, he smirked as he signed, **'If you wanted me out of the room, why didn't you just say so?'** Before heading to the dining room, Dudley gave Sirius a smile before glancing back at his mother. **'Thank you for everything you've done for us.'**

' **You're welcome,'** Sirius replied before taking the seat that the teenager had vacated. Studying Petunia for a moment, he took a deep breath before saying, "I know I've been spoiling Harry over the years. I did the same when James and Lily were alive. Whenever I'd come over to visit, I'd have… something for him. I've got a ridiculous amount of money and no real family of my own left, save for one cousin I haven't seen in almost 15 years. Harry's it. Can you blame me for wanting to spoil him?"

Petunia shook her head, understanding completely. "That was my dream when Dudley was born. One child that I could give…whatever he needed or wanted." There was a sadness in her eyes as she went on. "But I'm just Harry's aunt. I'm not actually his mother. Sometimes I think Harry should have just gone to live with you, Sirius."

But to Petunia's surprise, Sirius shook his head, firmly. "I would have spoiled Harry rotten. With you, he got a normal life with people who cared about him and loved him. If anything, Petunia… I'm jealous of you. You and Vernon are the closest thing to parents Harry has. I know Harry considers me family, too…but you're his blood, Petunia. Harry couldn't ask for better."

"I guess I was feeling jealous over nothing, then?" Petunia replied.

Sirius nodded slowly. "I will cut back on how much I spend on Harry. You're right. I do tend to go overboard and I will try not to do that." Thinking on his promise to get his godson a motorized wheelchair, Sirius asked, "What about Harry's wheelchair?"

Petunia closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. She'd momentarily forgotten about that and after a moment or two, she opened her eyes. "Would Harry even be able to use a motorized chair? I thought electronics didn't usually work at Hogwarts because of the magical interference."

Sirius clapped hand to his forehead, laughing in stunned disbelief. "I forgot all about the interference. I don't know if there's even a way around that." Sighing, he shrugged. "I guess Harry will be using a manual wheelchair, then."

Hearing the front door slam, Petunia and Sirius stood when they heard Vernon's shouts announcing the arrival of Chinese take-out.

* * *

"Honestly, Harry, I don't know how you do it," Draco Malfoy said, aloud, as he and Harry sat in the pediatric lounge talking. Draco was trying to get used to hearing himself speaking but it was strange after not hearing his own voice for so long.

Harry remembered being in the hospital and only slightly understanding what people were saying. But all too quickly, the quiet became normal and when he finally received his hearing aids, the noise was almost too much. "Especially at night, yeah? When you're trying to sleep but you're hearing everything?"

"How'd you do it?" Draco wanted to know.

Harry shrugged and pulled out his hearing aids. Setting them on his lap, he looked at Draco. "Pretty much like that. I know that doesn't help you, but… maybe try turning the implant off at night? Least until you get used to it?"

Draco nodded in agreement before studying Harry who was dressed in normal clothes. Switching to straight signing, he asked, **'When do you get to get out of here?'**

"Next week, if all goes well," Harry replied, cheerfully. "Just in time for Christmas." Seeing Draco's fidgety look, Harry smiled. "If it's okay with your mum, why don't you come with me? There's plenty of room and it sounds like Sirius and Uncle Vernon are doing the place up proper."

The thought was incredibly enticing. Christmas at Malfoy Manor was often a very chilly affair and this year was likely to be worse since Lucius Malfoy was quite unhappy about Draco's cochlear implant surgery. Still, that would mean that Narcissa would be alone with Lucius. Still, Draco thought, as he tried to reassure himself, his mother was a more than capable witch and he could always tell her privately where he was going if she needed to escape the house. Warily, Draco asked, **'You sure you don't mind?'**

' **No worries,'** Harry assured his friend. Shifting in the wheelchair, he found himself suddenly wondering if Draco was afraid to go home because of his father.

* * *

The morning Harry was released from the hospital, he was surprised to find that he was a little scared. Scared of what, he couldn't say. Maybe it was the reality of the situation. He wouldn't be walking out on crutches—the wheelchair he eased himself into was part of his life now.

Looking up at Vernon, Harry's voice failed him and before his uncle could ask the question, he signed, **'Let's go home.'**

Vernon nodded, leading Harry down the hall and into the elevator. "You sure you're okay, Harry?" he asked, looking intently at the teenager.

"Fine," Harry replied, simply. When he sensed his uncle wanted a more detailed reply, he shrugged. "Just… scared… I guess." But before Vernon could ask for more information, Harry shook his head. "Not now, Uncle Vernon. Let's… Let's talk about it in the car."

Looking away, Vernon gave a small grunt—his usual response when he disapproved of something. Still, he understood Harry not wanting to talk right then and there and the long drive to Kensington Lodge would provide ample time to discuss things.

After filling out the necessary paperwork, Vernon led Harry out to the entryway where Petunia was waiting in the new van she and Vernon had picked up last week.

Harry wheeled up the ramp and watched Vernon lock the wheelchair in place after Harry moved over to the bench seat and buckled his seatbelt. After another minute, Vernon got into the driver's seat and they pulled away from the hospital.

"So how are you doing?" Petunia asked, looking at Harry in the rearview mirror. After a moment of silence, she was about to turn around to make sure Harry hadn't taken his hearing aids out when Harry spoke up.

"Scared, mostly," Harry admitted, the words finally tumbling out. "I don't know, I just…This woke me up, I guess."

Confused by Harry's phrasing, Petunia turned around in the passenger seat, giving her nephew a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Harry took a deep breath and explained. "This magical immunity disorder. Broken bones will eventually heal on their own. I've got the hearing aids and the prosthetic leg. But this? Nothing can fix my spine. This…" He hated saying the word out loud. "I am paralyzed from the waist down. I am never going to walk again. And this time there's nothing to be done to make this easier on me. I am going to have to deal with th… with being paralyzed for the rest of my life." Harry didn't care about the tears in his eyes. "I don't know how I'm ever going to have anything resembling a normal life ever again. I don't know what my future is going to be like…"

"Oh, sweetheart," Petunia said with a warm smile. "I don't know either. But I promise you that you are never going to be alone in this. Alright?"

Harry could only nod as he didn't trust himself to not start crying again.

xxxxxx

Arriving at the lodge, Harry gaped at the sheer size of the place. It was even bigger than he'd imagined and even though there was a good nine inches of snow on the ground, the driveway was perfectly clear, including the walkway up to the front door.

After Vernon parked the van in the main garage, Petunia unbuckled her own seatbelt and moved carefully into the backseat area to unlock Harry's wheelchair.

Once Harry had moved back into the chair, he waited until he heard the ramp lock into place and Vernon's 'all clear' before maneuvering around so he could face the doorway. Heading down the van ramp, he followed Vernon up into the house while Petunia retrieved Harry's things from the trunk area.

Inside, Harry was speechless as he stared at the interior of the house and as he made his way to the living room, it took him a moment to notice that it was filled with people.

"SURPRISE!" The crowd shouted, cheering as Fred and George Weasley dropped a banner from the ceiling which read 'Welcome Home, Harry'.

Hermione rushed forward and hugged Harry tightly, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she felt her best friend hug her back. "It's SO great to see you out of the hospital," she said, earnestly, as she pulled away.

Oliver Wood stepped forward, shaking Harry's hand, warmly. "When you come back to Hogwarts, we'll do whatever it takes to get you back in top form. Sound good?"

Although the prospect of playing Quidditch scared Harry just a little, he caught Uncle Vernon's look and raised eyebrow. Turning to Oliver, Harry just beamed and nodded. "Sounds great. Really."

It was strange, Harry thought as his 'welcome home' party got started. One of the things he'd been wondering when he'd been in the hospital was how his friends and family would act around him once he got out. He'd expected everyone to be cautious around him or for everyone to watch what they said for fear of making him feel worse about the situation.

Instead, Fred and George were cracking jokes about Harry dressing up like a pirate next Halloween. "He's just missing the eye patch," Fred pointed out.

"I'm sure we could just transfigure your prosthetic into a wooden pegleg," George offered.

The idea was so absurd but so brilliant, Harry couldn't help but laugh and agree to the proposed costume. After discussing details for a bit, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Wheeling around, he found Cedric Diggory standing there, looking somewhat relieved. "Hey, Cedric," Harry said, smiling. After a moment, he added, "I never got to thank you for catching me that day. Who knows how bad I could have been hurt if I'd actually hit the ground?"

"Don't mention it, Harry," Cedric assured his fellow Quidditch player. "I'm just glad I could help. Anything you need when we get back to school…just name it." After hearing about the severity of Harry's injury after the game, Cedric had felt guilty since he'd assured Ardelia that she'd be just fine playing that day. Looking back on the whole thing, he wished he'd used his reserve beater so that Ardelia could work on her aim.

"Thanks," Harry replied, sincerely, as he shook hands with the Hufflepuff seeker. Catching sight of Ardelia standing by the window, and looking out at the snow, the outdoor patio and kitchen, Harry excused himself and headed towards her. Waiting until she turned to face him, Harry studied his friend for a moment before signing, **'Please tell me you aren't still blaming yourself for th… for my being paralyzed.'**

Ardelia shrugged off the question, but she took notice of Harry's hesitation before signing the word 'paralyzed'. She had a sad look as she replied, **'Is it that hard for you to actually say the word?'**

Harry didn't have to ask what word she was talking about. He nodded before looking at the wheelchair and his lower body. **'Every time I say it… it becomes a little more real. I guess some part of me doesn't want to give up the miniscule chance that I could get better.'** Before Ardelia could remind him of the details of his spinal injury—not that he _needed_ reminding—Harry went on. **'I know the spinal fracture was complete. Trust me, I am…very aware that I am never again going to be able to move my legs or feel anything below my waist.'** Trying to hold back the tears he could feel welling up, he asked, **'What's so wrong about hoping that someday magic or muggle medicine can cure this stupid disorder so I can get my spine fixed?'**

It killed Ardelia to see her best friend so distraught, but she also knew that she had to be honest. **'I know you want to hold on to hope. And, no—there's nothing wrong with praying that someday there'll be a cure for your magical immunity disorder. BUT…I don't want that hope blinding you to reality. You being paralyzed is real. You are going to have to deal with this and it is going to be hard—physically and emotionally.'**

Harry felt his melancholy suddenly morph into anger. Clenching his jaw to keep from shouting out loud, his signing was fast and sharp. **'You honestly think I don't understand that this-That my being paralyzed—'** At that, he carefully finger-spelled the word. **'—is permanent? Believe me—I. Get. It. That bludger slammed into my back, completely severed my spinal cord, and put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I KNOW what happened to me. I don't need any reminders, thanks.'**

Sharply turning around, Harry quickly turned off his hearing aids and headed down the hallway, ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him, and heading into his bedroom before slamming the door, not caring who heard the noise.

A few minutes later, Ron cautiously opened the door, waiting for Harry to face him since the 2nd youngest Weasley noticed that Harry had removed his hearing aids. After making sure the bedroom door was closed, Ron prepared to confront his best friend. Signing as he spoke, Ron didn't bother to be nice. "You know, we all get that this is hard for you. You're paralyzed and it sucks. But stop being a prat about it!"

"Seriously?" Harry snapped, his signing sharp. "I'm sorry, but last time you broke a bone didn't your mum fix you right up? And I don't seem to remember _you_ getting meningitis and losing your hearing and your leg! And I know for a bloody FACT that you've never been confined to a wheelchair because of a fractured spine!"

"No," Ron said, simply, trying like mad to reign in his temper. "No, I've never had to deal with the things you've had to deal with. But I've never had a godfather who shelled out money like it was water. I don't get to live in a fancy house."

Before Ron could continue, Harry snapped, "I would give away ALL this—" He gestured at the house. "—if it meant I could get my parents back! Because it's MY fault that they're dead! And it's my own bloody fault that I'm bloody paralyzed! Because my life is one catastrophe after another!" All his anger seemed to suddenly drain out of him and Harry signed, **'Get out!'** When Ron just stood there, Harry bellowed, "Get the bloody hell out of my room!"

Ron left quickly, shutting the door behind him.

Closing his eyes and cursing himself for acting like a compete git, Harry wheeled over to the bed and climbed on top of the blankets, letting himself cry into his pillow.


	10. Chapter 10

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter picks up right about when Harry and Ardelia started having their fight in the previous chapter.

Chapter 10

* * *

At first, no one had noticed how upset Harry was getting until he headed quickly out of the living room and down the hallway towards his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Ron had quickly hurried after his best friend while Hermione tried to comfort a tearful Ardelia. But then there had been shouting coming from the first floor bedroom, and very shortly afterwards, Ron came out looking slightly shaken. "Harry… just needs some time alone, I guess," Ron reported, lamely, as he rejoined the crowd.

But while everyone else seemed to accept Ron's statement, Ginny Weasley knew better. But she also doubted she was the right person to try to talk to Harry right now. Turning to her friend, Luna Lovegood—a 2nd year Ravenclaw student—Ginny said, tentatively, "You think you could try talking to Harry?"

Without any trace of hesitation, Luna nodded and headed towards Harry's bedroom, rapping lightly on the door before opening it and stepping inside.

Harry was on his bed crying but after a moment, he seemed to notice someone was in his bedroom and he sat up, wiping away the tears in his eyes with one hand before sniffling. "Who're you?" he asked, curiously, putting his hearing aids back in and turning them on. He didn't feel like putting forth the effort to read anyone's lips at the moment.

"Luna Lovegood," Luna replied, cheerfully. "I'm friends with Ginny Weasley." After a moment, she added, "You're missing a lovely party."

"I don't think I'm very good company right now," Harry said, quietly as he straightened up a bit more. "You know, I thought everyone would be walking on eggshells with me when I got out of the hospital."

Cocking her head in puzzlement, Luna asked, "Do you want everyone to treat you that way?"

Harry shrugged, not sure what he wanted right now. "No…Maybe? I don't know. I just wish things were different."

Luna nodded in understanding. "My mum died when I was nine. She was a very gifted witch but she liked to experiment. One day one of her spells went badly wrong. I often wish there was some way to bring her back, even though I know it's impossible."

It was refreshing to talk to someone who understood how he felt, Harry thought as he nodded as well. "I know I'm never going to walk again, but… I just wish everyone would stop trying to kill every last shred of hope I have."

"My mum used to tell me 'Never forget to live in the present while reaching for the future'," Luna said, simply. Shrugging lightly, she added, "Truth is a hard thing to hear. But we have to listen." Glancing at Harry's hearing aids, she smiled. "Even if we don't want to." Sitting on the end of the bed, her legs folded beneath her, she asked, "If you don't want to go back out there just yet, I could stay here and keep you company for a while."

The offer was enticing, Harry thought. Besides, he was sure Ron and Ardelia would have shared the news that Harry was angry and frustrated, and… But the more Harry thought about it, the more he realized he had to go back out there. Once back at Hogwarts, he'd have to socialize again. Might as well start now. He shook his head before carefully moving back into the wheelchair. "I think I need to do an apology tour, anyway," he said, finally.

Luna smiled as she opened the bedroom door, stepping aside to allow Harry through the doorway first. Following behind as Harry rejoined his 'welcome home' party, Luna put a hand on his shoulder when he stopped, facing his family and friends who had ceased their own various conversations as he'd re-entered the room. "I'm sorry," Harry said, sincerely. "Ron, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I know you were only calling me out on what a git I was being." Turning to Ardelia, Harry signed as he spoke. "I know you were just trying to help, Ari. I'm sorry I got so angry with you."

"Harry, you have every right to be angry about what's happened," Ari said aloud, signing as she spoke. "If you were completely accepting of everything, I think we'd all be more worried. Anger is natural for someone in you're situation."

But Harry wasn't letting himself off the hook so quickly. "Even so," he replied, looking at everyone. "That was rude and uncalled for on my part. I need to work on that."

Marge Dursley stepped forward, giving her nephew a semi-stern look. "Well, to be clear, Harry," she stated. "I don't think anyone here is going to be pussyfooting around you simply because you're paralyzed. We've all seen you face some sort of disability at one point or another, and so we're used to that. That being said, we are all trying to be accepting that this is a major change for you and we will all do our best to be as accommodating as possible."

"Thank you for that," Harry replied, honestly, as he felt his stomach grumble with hunger. Eying the buffet spread set up in the kitchen, he asked, "So what's there to eat? This is a party, right?"

Dudley led the way to the kitchen and Harry helped himself to the offerings before going back to the living room and selecting a spot next to the window. Sirius joined him, the older wizard's plate laden with food. After a few moments, Sirius spoke. "Harry, I know you've been thinking that if you didn't have the magical immunity disorder that you wouldn't be in that wheelchair. But I was doing some research and I don't think it would have made much difference."

Harry swallowed a bite of roasted chicken and frowned. "What are you talking about? If I didn't have the stupid disorder, the healers at the hospital could have fixed my spinal injury."

Sirius shook his head before shrugging. He didn't want to get Harry upset again and in retrospect he probably should have waited until after the party. But Harry was his godson and Sirius owed him the truth. "If the injury to your spine had been incomplete, meaning th—"

"Meaning that the nerves were intact, at least partially," Harry finished, nodding. "I remember that part."

"Well, an _incomplete_ injury could be fixed," Sirius went on. "But even then, it couldn't have been fixed instantly. You'd still have had to deal with some form of paralysis. The bones would be easy to heal. The nerves would have taken longer. You'd still have likely ended up in a wheelchair for a time."

Harry thought about that for a while. On the one hand, hearing that—had his spinal cord not been completely severed—he could have had a greater chance of recovery was disheartening, to say the least. On the other hand, knowing that he'd still be in the wheelchair for who knows how long… And yet there was still the fact that even without the immunity disorder there was nothing that could be done. "Then I guess that there's no way to be angry at my disorder for keeping me from being fixed. Even without it, I'd still be paralyzed, right?"

Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I'm so sorry, prongslet. I thought maybe if you didn't have the disorder there was something that could be done, but…"

"No, Sirius, I'm…" Harry stopped for a moment to organize his thoughts before he continued. "Part of why I was—I am—so angry about all this is because I kept telling myself that if I didn't have the disorder then I wouldn't be paralyzed. That if I hadn't been playing that day then I would be fine." Shrugging as he thought about his circumstances, he added, "But it could have happened some other way. The damage has been done and even without the disorder on top of everything else… If it wasn't one thing, it would be something different."

Taking both their plates and setting them aside, Sirius hugged his godson.

xxxxxxx

Long after the party was over and the guests—exempting Draco and Narcissa Malfoy—had gone home, Harry found himself in the kitchen unable to sleep. He'd tried sleeping, certainly, but for some reason, his mind was too filled with thoughts, worries, and questions.

Surprisingly, Harry wasn't alone as he sat by the lower countertop, a cup of hot cocoa before him. Standing opposite him was Narcissa who looked equally awake. She pulled over a barstool and sat down, giving Harry a small smile. Noticing that the young man before her didn't have his hearing aids in, she signed as she spoke. "I would have thought that you would be sleeping like a baby now that you're not in hospital anymore," Narcissa said, before sipping her own beverage.

Harry shrugged but after a while, he replied, "I guess earlier brought up a lot of things. I guess I'm still trying to mentally process everything."

Narcissa felt for the young Gryffindor student. After a minute or two, she looked around to make sure no one else was about before she said, "Lucius could never say the word 'deaf'. At home, he either called it Draco's 'problem' or 'issue'. To my husband, it was something to be ashamed of. But Draco is my son, despite whatever imperfections he has."

Harry wondered what it would be like, having a father that didn't care about you, yet still having a warm and affectionate mother. But he knew deep down that his parents would never have shunned him as Lucius Malfoy had done to his own son. "For the longest time, I never thought of Draco as a friend," Harry confessed. "I'd always said that just because he and I were deaf didn't make us friends. We didn't have to like each other because we shared a disability."

As much as it hurt to hear, Narcissa had guessed as much. Draco had always had a difficult time in primary school and when he'd first written home from Hogwarts, he'd sounded almost excited when he relayed the news that there were two other students at the school who were deaf. But while Narcissa had encouraged her son to make friends, be nice, and try to ignore any teasing and ridicule, Lucius had insisted that just because his son was disabled, that didn't give him to make friends with mudbloods and muggle-lovers.

And so Draco had started school as a deaf student with his father's prejudices.

Refilling their cups, Narcissa asked, "What changed between you and Draco? How did the two of you overcome your animosity?"

Harry relayed the story of the discussion he'd had with Hermione at the start of the school year about the cochlear implant and how Hermione had compared it to Harry's own hearing aids. "Draco's father was keeping him deaf because of his own prejudices against muggles," Harry concluded. "I didn't think it was fair. And the more Draco and I talked, I realized that what he wanted most was friends."

Although she liked talking with Harry and wanted to continue their conversation, Narcissa smiled as Harry failed in covering a loud yawn. "I think you should try and get some rest, Harry," she said, simply. "Don't worry," she added, seeing Harry about to protest. "Draco and I are staying through the Christmas break. We can talk again later." After a moment or two, she asked, "Did you need any help getting into bed?"

Harry's smile was warm as he shook his head. "I've got it, Mrs. Malfoy," he replied, politely. "But thank you for asking. Good night."

"Good night," Narcissa replied before rinsing the cups out in the sink before going upstairs to bed.

xxxx


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

The following morning, Sirius was up early, using magic to finish setting up the Christmas decorations and tree before everyone else was awake.

When he was a child, Christmas had been an awful time, especially given his dark family tree and after he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, things had only gotten worse.

As a result, Sirius had ended up spending most of his Christmases either at Hogwarts or with James Potter's family who had welcomed him with open arms.

"Still an early riser, I see," Narcissa said, quietly, as she joined her cousin in the living room.

Sirius put the final decorations on the Christmas tree and turned to look at Narcissa who was studying the decorations admiringly. "Did you sleep well?" Sirius asked as the two headed into the kitchen.

"Yes, I did. Thank you for asking," Narcissa replied as she watched Sirius pulling out flour, sugar, cinnamon, and some sort of muggle device with a fitted metal bowl. "I had a nice conversation with Harry last night after everyone went to bed." When Sirius gave her a questioning look, she shrugged lightly. "The poor boy was having trouble sleeping. We had some hot chocolate and talked for a bit."

As Sirius began making the dough for sticky buns, he didn't have to ask what had been keeping Harry up. "Harry has been dealing with some sort of injury or disability for most of his life. First, it was the magical immunity disorder, then losing his leg and most of his hearing… Now he's paralyzed. It's a lot for anyone to deal with."

"He's a good boy, Sirius," Narcissa commented as Sirius put the dough ingredients into the bowl and flipping a switch to turn the machine on. "I'm sure much of that came from his uncle and aunt… but I know that came from you, too." When Sirius remained silent, Narcissa waited until he finally looked at her directly before she added, sincerely, "You _are_ a good man, Sirius. I hope you know that."

Sirius didn't reply as he finished the dough and mixed up the filling and glaze for the sticky buns. He knew Narcissa was right, but his memories of his childhood and his family's ties to dark magic were a permanent stain on his soul—something that would never go away, no matter how much he wished otherwise.

An hour later, Sirius was rolling out the dough when Marge Dursley came into the kitchen. "I see we're all getting an early start today." she said, looking at Narcissa and Sirius.

"First night in the new house," Sirius replied, shrugging. "Figured sticky buns would be a nice start to the day."

"Then let me help you," Marge volunteered, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater and grabbing ingredients out of the fridge to prepare a breakfast casserole.

Feeling uncomfortable just watching the other two cook, Narcissa withdrew her wand and set about preparing fruit salad, one of three things she actually knew how to make.

Once everything was prepared, Narcissa set the dining room table while Marge juiced a mountain of oranges as Dudley came in still looking a bit sleepy. **'How is anyone supposed to sleep in when you lot are making the kitchen smell like a four-star restaurant?'** he signed, pretending to look grumpy.

"Only 4 stars?" Sirius asked with a smile as he covered the sticky buns with plastic wrap to rise one more time before baking. "What are we missing?"

Dudley looked at the kitchen and thought for a moment before replying, **'Shouldn't a spread like this have some sort of fruit platter? Isn't that what they do in fancy hotels?'**

"I've already taken care of that, Dudley," Narcissa said, signing as she spoke, giving the teenager a warm smile.

' **Anything I can do to help?'** Dudley wanted to know.

Sirius considered the offer, but shook his head. "Breakfast should be ready by about 9:30. But if you want to help clean up…?"

Dudley nodded and quickly set about doing the dishes while Marge dried and Sirius put things away.

When Petunia and Vernon came in a short while later, the kitchen was spotless and the casserole and sticky buns were in the oven along with extra strips of bacon and links of breakfast sausage.

"You didn't have to do all this," Petunia protested as she looked about at the others. She'd never liked the idea of others cooking for her. Even on Mother's Day or her birthday, Petunia was always dead set on making breakfast or dinner herself, much to the confusion of her family.

"You do too much for everyone, Petunia," Sirius protested, leading Harry's aunt to a spot at the dining room table. "Take a load off. Let me, Narcissa, Marge, and Dudley take care of everything this morning."

Begrudgingly, Petunia complied, taking the cup of freshly brewed tea Narcissa offered before sitting down opposite her. "Thank you," Petunia said, gratefully.

"How are you doing?" Narcissa asked, genuinely curious. "With Harry and everything?" When Petunia just shrugged in response, Narcissa gave a small smile and added, "Mother to mother."

Petunia set her teacup down, not sure of how to voice her thoughts. "I can't help wondering if there was something I could have done to keep Harry off his broom that day. I feel like…"

"Like you failed Harry in some way," Narcissa finished, nodding knowingly. "I felt the same way when Draco was born. I felt that it had to be my fault in some way." Thinking on her son's new cochlear implant, she shook her head in disbelief. "From the moment I found out that Draco was deaf, I never imagined that there was a way for him to be able to hear. I'd accepted my son's disability… learned to adapt and help him get though the hard times."

"But Draco was _born_ deaf," Petunia protested. "He'd dealt with it his whole life. Harry's had 3 months to deal with being paralyzed."

Narcissa put a comforting hand on Petunia's forearm and gave the other woman a smile. "You have done a marvelous job raising Harry. He's a strong, brave, kind-hearted boy and you've helped him deal with everything that has happened to him. I believe Harry will be able to come through this ordeal even stronger than he was before. There will be obstacles. And he is going to have bad days. But he will make it through and you'll be there to celebrate his victories…no matter how small they may seem at first."

Putting a hand on top of Narcissa's, Petunia returned the smile and there were tears of gratitude in her eyes as she replied, "You're right."

"What smells so good?" Harry said as he finally came into the dining room and wheeled up to the table. Looking from his Aunt Petunia to Narcissa Malfoy, he raised an eyebrow curiously. "Am I interrupting something?"

The two mothers shared a secret, knowing smile and Petunia wiped the tears away before she stood and went over to Harry, giving him a hug. "How did you sleep?"

"Great," Harry replied, shifting a bit in his wheelchair. When his stomach gave a low grumble, he asked, "I'm famished. What's for breakfast?"

xxx

After breakfast, Sirius led Harry on a proper tour of the house including the work-out room for Harry to do his physical therapy exercises, an indoor pool and Jacuzzi hot tub, and a media room which resembled a mini movie theater.

Across the driveway and above the garage, Sirius finished the tour in the apartment flat he'd moved into.

"So what do you think?" Sirius asked, handing Harry a bottle of soda from the fridge in the kitchen. As the two sat at the table, Sirius studied in godson intently.

Harry looked about, and he had to admit that it was all a bit overwhelming. "It's a far cry from Privet Drive, that's for sure," Harry replied, shifting a bit in his wheelchair. "You've done an incredible job making sure I can get around alright."

Glancing at Harry's middle for a moment, he voiced the question he'd be pondering for a while. "So the band they gave you in the hospital? Is that still working alright?"

"Yeah, it works great," Harry replied, nodding. "The healers said that as long as the vanishing and sensory charms are enforced every 6 months, it'll keep going forever. Plus I can wear it when bathing and there are additional charms to keep it from causing skin irritations."

Not wanting to beat around the bush with his other query, Sirius said, simply, "We should talk about what happened at the party last night."

Looking away from his godfather, Harry's fingers itched to reach up and pull out his hearing aids before leaving—his old standby response when someone was going to talk to him about something he didn't want to hear. He was sure that he was going to get called out on his behavior, despite his apology afterwards. Feeling Sirius's gaze focusing on him—and knowing Sirius would instantly switch to sign language if he did pull the hearing aids out—Harry turned back to his godfather, giving him his full attention.

Sirius hated being stern and serious—no pun intended—with Harry, but he knew that this was an instance where he had to. "Harry, none of this has been easy for anyone. And I know you've spoken to Oliver Wood and Vernon about playing quidditch again, but…" He took a deep breath, not wanting to hurt Harry, but knowing that it was the right thing to do. "But I have spoken with Dumbledore and McGonagall… and they agree that you should quit the team."

Harry was dumbfounded by the news and he felt a fresh wave of tears welling up in his eyes and he couldn't tell if he was saddened by the news or angry. Still, he knew that Sirius had a good point.

Seeing Harry's reaction, Sirius sighed, knowing he had to finish what he had to say. "I said that we think you _should_ quit. We think it would be a lot riskier for you to continue playing now that you're paralyzed. However… Dumbledore said that we shouldn't force you. It should be your decision and… whatever you decide, I'll support your choice."

xxxxxxxx

In the sitting room, Petunia was showing Narcissa some of the family photo albums, including many of the wizarding photos Sirius had taken through the years.

When she saw a picture of Dudley and Harry together, showing their individual name-signs, Narcissa looked up at Petunia and asked, "Why didn't you ever consider a cochlear implant for Dudley? I mean, that's what you did for Harry, yes?"

Petunia shook her head, still looking at the pictures of her boys. "Harry's hearing aids are just standard issue. They're just magically enhanced to give him his normal hearing back." Looking up, she went on. "We had Dudley tested to see if he was a candidate, even though the process was expensive. But the doctors told us he wasn't a good fit for the procedure." Turning her attention back to the pictures, she added, "I'd give anything for Dudley to hear my voice one more time. I wonder if he even remembers listening to me reading stories to him and Harry before they went to bed."

Narcissa leaned back on the sofa and smiled blissfully. "The moment Draco heard my voice for the first time in his life… I can't remember seeing such happiness in his eyes before. And his laughter?" Straightening up, she sighed. "Lucius hated hearing Draco talk out loud. The way his son sounded reminded him of Draco's disability. I don't think my son remembers a single moment with his father that was pleasant. When Lucius paid for the Slytherin quidditch team's new brooms last year, Lucius just told Draco not to disappoint him again."

Petunia couldn't imagine Vernon being resentful of Harry and Dudley. When the boys had left the hospital, Vernon Dursley had done everything possible to help the boys deal with their new situations. Still, it was different for her boys as opposed to Draco Malfoy's situation. Draco had been _born_ deaf. He'd never known a life with sounds and noise until now.

And then there was Harry.

If both boys had just become deaf, it would have been easier, to a degree. But first, the infection had caused severe damage to Harry's right leg and when the antibiotics didn't help enough, the doctors had rushed the boy into the operating room, amputating the limb about 3 inches below the knee. Harry had started getting better, loss of hearing aside, and seemed eager to go home.

But another infection had started in his right knee and he'd again been rushed into surgery where the surgeon removed almost 8 more inches of Harry's leg.

"It must have been so hard for you to deal with your children's illnesses," Narcissa observed.

Petunia nodded, silently, lost in her own thoughts. It had been hard back then. And as much as she'd tried to be strong for Harry and Dudley back then, she knew that it would be even harder to help Harry now.

xxxxxxx


End file.
